A while ago, people (not just professionals but amateur enthusiasts as well) started to take an interest in the way in which we take photos and communicate, leading to a gradual increase in the number of related works. This resulted in the Sajinjeon in 2010. Sajinjeon was an effort to find the meaning behind artistic photos by emphasizing that subjects chosen by a camera do not exist to relay the photographer’s point of view or feelings (this is all the more true in so-called artistic photos in which subjects are meanings) but that they themselves are a part of this world.

Sajinjeon II is a continuation of this effort. The exhibition comprises two parts.

First is the part about the knowledge I have accumulated and the truths I have believed until now. The knowledge that I believed to be true without a shadow of a doubt actually contain many errors. The bigger issue is that I had unconditionally accepted such knowledge without adequately assessing or filtering it. In order to rectify these issues at the source, I began to study once again the three books (on the techniques, theory and history of photography that I learned for the first time) that had provided me with a basic foundation of photography. This is what resulted after I wrote down what I studied one by one in order to imprint it on my mind.

The other part is the result of my study to identify the ultimate goal that people try to achieve through photos. I took a deep interest in the photos that were uploaded onto cyber space and the comments people wrote about the photos. Some of the comments were: “Fantastic”, “Beautiful”, “Amazing”, “Happy” and “Magnificent”. Comments are filled with what the writers are feeling, not what the subject in the photo is like. It goes to show that photography is indeed art. Other comments were: “It’s like a watercolor painting”, “It’s like an oriental painting”, “It’s like a portrait”, “It’s a masterpiece” and “It’s a work of art”. It seems that people ultimately want a “portrait”, a “masterpiece” and a “work of art” from the camera and its photos. It really doesn’t seem like it’s a “photo” that they want. I used a canvas and paints to create a painting type art piece that people yearn so much. Despite that, it is not what is generally considered a “painting” or a “writing”. It’s not written by hand but is simply a collection of letters made with a sponge using paints. The exhibition is entitled “Sajinjeon II (meaning Photo Exhibition)” but ironically there are no photos.

- Text / Kim Yunho 

Courtesy of One and J. Gallery