Yangho Lee

 Director,Gallery MOA

May, 2011. 

 

도예가 이인진은 흙과 불의 본질을 이해하기 위해 긴 시간의 기다림을 수없이 반복하고 제작하며 전통적 규범과 정형화에서 벗어난 작가만의 새로운 느낌의 기물를 발견해냈다.

 

흙과 불이 만남으로써 생성되는 독특한 질감과 불이 닿는 면과 닿지 않는 이면이 만들어내는 의도된 우연에 의한 자연적 색채, 그리고 물레에서 빚어지는 추상적이고 자유로운 선들을 만들어 내기 위한 작가의 의지를 통해 감동을 느낄 수 있을 것이다.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tenacity for Power in Eternity and the Infinite

- Inchin Lee's Ceramic Art -

 

Jae-gil Yoo

Prof. of Art Criticism, Hong Ik Univ.

April, 2011.

 

Inchin Lee's ceramic art can be seen to hold within it tenacity for power in eternity and the infinite. The swelling forms of his jars and the rich colors of their surfaces particularly expose this unending depth. The curved forms of asymmetrical jars have an eternal nature. Their perpetuity cannot be severed, and their beginning and end cannot be known. The dark brown colors of the surface arising from the touch of fire in the wood kiln speak of infinity with the accumulation over time containing a homing instinct to the remote past.

 

In Lee’s work, spontaneous colors are formed intentionally by natural factors. The wood fired pottery appears dark brown usually, but when it meets the natural light it reveals more of its true colors. The color of the surface appears to shine by itself. As the area touched by fire and the backside are contrasted, the color of the surface shifts and possesses a mysterious quality. Colors that depart from a clear confrontation between black and white hold a human scent and fragrance which natural colors have, embodying primitive power and properties of life.

 

The surface of the work, above all, contains primitivism and traces of time, as the colors of nature and delicate tones become free from the role of being a servant to the form. Instead, the color of the surface influences the form and makes people think about the emotional expression that strives to coexist with the form. The surfaces of the pots, which shine at dawn or in the middle of night, make a layer of time adding conceptual density. Like the light of day, night, dawn, and evening, the colors of the pots, beautifully fired, develop into a background that support the form. It is this color tone which is armed with the power of eternity and the infinite.

 

Beyond the exceptional surfaces of the jars and bowls of his ceramic works, it is remarkable in the line drawing and the asymmetric forms that they get out of traditional norms and standardization. Not only the mouths of the pots but also the swollen parts in the middle have unstandardized shapes. In the thrown jars, he has his own individual forms. The ceramic jars also reflect deviation from organic shape and break away from norms of geometric form, maintaining round curved sides while displaying a surface of straight angles and lines.

 

In addition, lines drawn on the surface of manipulated pots show free movements like the unintentional behaviors of wind or waves. Unlike regular patterns of repetition and asymmetry, the lines, as highly personal traces, are close to styles of abstract expressionism. With a tenacity toward infinity and a getting away from standardized rules and norms, these personal traces can be considered as results of unintentional action, and it seems that they are recording traces of life following the flow of time.

 

In conclusion, Lee's ceramic art finds glory in the colors of the surface, which strive to embrace the power of eternity and infinity on its round form. His art pieces, which are formative experiments of traditional techniques and individual pursuit, emphasize free line drawing, shapes, and color tones; free from any restriction of intellectual experience. This newest work, too, will be able to make a deep impression and connection with viewers as it confirms Lee's desire to embody in his individual forms and colors his tenacity for eternity and the infinite.