Classicists claimed that there was a need to reproduce the everlasting order that exists behind experience. In contrast, impressionists went out and extracted beauty from existence. Their achievement is more than simply a change in the space where they draw. They shed new light on objects that are vibrant with life under the spawn of light, and this had a substantial influence on artists of future generations.
This has important meaning even at present. Still-life painters experienced difficulties in communicating the liveliness of objects because vegetables and fruit completely dry up in the process of painting. They had no choice but to be satisfied with reproducing the form of objects, while giving up on their liveliness. However, this tradition is rapidly fading. A digital camera with tens of millions of pixels captures an object in its exact appearance. In fact, it captures an object in a lively way as if we were seeing the object with our own eyes. With this change, painters can refer to such pictures and view still objects from a new perspective. As a result, painters deliver 'still objects that are full of life', and this is clearly a new trend. This is also true in the paintings of Choe Jeong-hyeok, whose key motif is newly harvested fruits.
Fruit paintings by Choe cause confusion to viewers, making it impossible to determine which objects are real. The fruit in his paintings are more real and vivid than the fruit at orchards. His paintings fully embody an apple's attractive color, taut red skin, as well as dewdrops that decorate an apple. The perfect reproduction of an apple leads viewers to awe with admiration. The paintings enable viewers to catch a glimpse of the great passion and tenacity Choe has towards capturing the inner liveliness of fruits that are dangling from branches, in addition to their external appearance.
An interesting factor can be discovered in his paintings. A layer of white snow is on top of apples. Some of the paintings have yellowish green leaves, which can be seen only in the spring. Apples ripen in autumn, but his paintings showcase winter and spring landscapes, resulting in viewers with puzzled looks. In fact, some apples have a 'flower'. These paintings are of objects that cannot exist in reality as they depict a ripened apple together with apple blossoms, which can be seen only in the spring. As such, the things that we see in his paintings have a gap with reality. The paintings showcase situations that cannot exist in reality. Choe refers to this as 'virtual existence'. The paintings seem like they give a true representation of apples, but the apples are a part of a fictional world. All objects are reconstituted in his head and fingertips. The real-to-life apple images are a result of a 'delicate mixture' of magenta colors. The leaves that feature even the breath of the veins are actually exaggerated. The paintings are pleasant 'trickery' that can be experienced only through art and that gives wings to our imagination.
This reconstitution can be found in the composition of the images as well. An apple tree has several apples and leaves, some of which are clear while others are blurry. This may remind one of looking at objects based on a camera's viewfinder, but such paintings simply view objects based on different points in time. It is like when we stare at one spot for some time when that spot catches our attention. He is not focusing on one spot, but is focusing on several spots and is describing objects based on a "flow through which he desires to view the objects". In this sense, his artworks are more than simply an objective representation, but reflect the artist's perspectives and personality.
His works have been influenced by the digital culture. Countless people living in cities access information through the Internet. An increasing number of people are also coming across images and colors online, in addition to information. The images we see on our computer screens are different from natural images. An image of an apple on a computer screen is very artificial and mechanical. A real apple is far from artificial and does not have a primary color. We tend to try to understand Nature through digital images on our computer screens. This tendency is embodied in Choe's cherry paintings. The cherries in his paintings are transparent and clear as if they were glass beads. They are similar to the images on computer screens. The title <Natural-Topia> means to artificially change natural elements. It may be pointing to the ironic phenomenon where people are familiar with digital images but are unfamiliar with pure Nature.
We have dreams and we hope that our dreams will become reality. We have a longing for a world that makes the impossible possible and that we cannot reach. The world that Choe challenges himself to reach is similar to such a world. The artist may be enjoying the fact that the objects look like the real thing but are nothing more than a delusion.
However, Choe is probably holding fast to such natural images because he understands how precious Nature is deep inside. His paintings, which are more lively than the actual objects, provide a magnificent spectacle and bring back good memories. People living in cities view Nature in a much different way from before, but they are still a part of Nature and are enjoying the benefits offered by Nature. Sadly, we are presented with less opportunities to experience Nature, but we will never be uninfluenced by Nature.
If the artist did not realize how precious Nature is, he wouldn't have been able to complete such paintings with emotional depth. His <Natural-Topia> brings back memories of life in the countryside, where red apples ripen with hills in the background, and also delivers a sense of relief as if one finally returned to his hometown. His 'artificial Nature' enables us to remind ourselves of the very essence of Nature.
Seo Seong-nok (President of the Korea Art Critics Association)
