1. 류병엽, 뜨겁고도 건강한 조형 2. 류병엽 초대전에 부쳐 3. 소묘, 독립된 영역으로서의 그림 4. 柳鉼燁, 회화의 즐거움과 긴장감 5. 독백적 향수, 향수적 원시 6. 색면의 구성과 향토의 정서 7. COMPOSITI0N OF COLOR FIELDS AND N0STALGIC EMOTIONSThe painting is destined to the confines of the flattwo-dimensional space, and yet it has persistentlysought to step out of those bounds. The Cubist attempts of papier colle, and collage, a similar and related technlque of pasting various materials and objects on to the canvas, are among the most visibleefforts to this end. Quite on the contrary, there have been endeavors to reconfirm the flatness of thepainting, such as the Minimalist of themonochromatic styles of painting that orlginate froman active recognition of Its two-dlmensional fate.
Ryoo Byung-Yup has shown a unique approach to pursuing the plane in his works, which is quitedifferent from the Minimalist of the monochromaticway of obliterating the object from the canvas. His style is dofinitely figurative, but not in the typlcalmanner, because he arranges his color fields as anexpression of the plane He depicts distinctlyconcrete images but with flatness and strikingcolors, giving off the feel of a sheet of quilt. The viewer is more captivated by the panorama createdby color fragments pieced together than by the storythe paintings tell.
One thing to note about Ryoo's latest exhibition is that it features a substantial body of large-sizedworks. During the time when he seemed to publicizehardly any new works, Ryoo was quietly laborlng ona number of large-scale pieces. This is quite rareand surprising, especially considering that the artistis approaching seventy. It is sure to give a refreshing shock to the domestic art scene, where it is criticired that there are many artists but not much art.
Ryoo primarily concerns himself with two subjectareas, the mundane life, based on scenes from hisown daily life as motifs, and long time memoriesthat have grown to be a part of him, such as his childhood village and stories from those youthfulyears. Seenes from his own life usually come from the nature surrounding him. (Mt. Samgak In thesummer), and (Morning in the mountain) are allinspired by the scenery of the mountains near hishome Then, there are those works that areprompted by the beauty of more distant locationslike (View of Mt. Wolchool), (Summer In Jeong-sun), (Halla fantasy), (Scenes from Mt. Baekdu).Ryoo, whose home is near a valley in the mountains,is fascinated by the nature's beauty In these works,abundance of color, which is charaeteristic of hisstyle, vividly renders the change of nature's four seasons.
Perhaps what he seeks to capture, such as Mt. Halla and Baekdu with their regal grandeur, make it inevitable that he opt for the larger canvases.Sizable dimensions and a panoramic compositionseem almost essential given that he is not simplytrying to reproduce the facade of the peaks but toexpress the historical significance that dwellamongst them. Ryoo celebrates the deep emotionshe feels as he beholds the majestic mounts with aparade of small colored patches that seem likestrings of national flags decorating the field on aschool field day.
The landscape of the old home village he recalled from hls memories seems more fulfilling, becausethey have been filtered by the images he has long treasured. For example. works like (Home village,)(White cow), (Returning home) (Man and Womanpicking fruit), (A family working), (Scenes from thefarm village), (Good news in a farm village),(Pastoral autumn), and (Mother and child at theorchard) are all motivated by the remembrances ofhis old home. He reminisces of the rice paddies, thecrop fields, and the houses sitting close to eachother upon a hill. Far in the distance behind thevillage are peaks and slopes. Then, we see a farmerplowing the earth with an ox, while another does sowith his own plough and arms. Some are walkinghome after a hard day's work along a narrow roadleading to the village Those who had gone to themarket are trudging back along the road. The youngmaiden in the orchard picks fruits, while a boystands not far away picking up those that had fallenonto the ground. The birthplace always inyokes anaffectionate and nostalgic emotion, but Ryoo'sdepiction of the hometown is more abundant andcozy than what we can vaguely recall in our minds.
On occasion, he paints the urban scenes as well, but once brought into his canyas they somehowturn into pastoral landscapes from times beforeindustrialization, Colored by the memories of his boyhood home and village, the city as Ryoo presentsit is both of current reality as well as of the past.
Another subject Ryoo is fond of is the people in hislife, including himself (People on the beach),(Mother and son), (Adam and Eve), (Communication),(White horse on the beach), and (Season of youth)feature people, some from the past and others fromthe present time. The figures in the works (Old palace in May), (Time of youth), (Fisherman andhis Wife) are inspired by personages from theartist's current life, while those in (White horse onthe beach) and (Season of youth) have beenexcavated from his past. They are invariably robust.In addition, the figures in nude are depicted in autopian environment, loading a primitive lifestyle.
Color and form are quite often used as crlteria for classifying artists into specific schools of styles, as when we describe a painter as either emphasizing form over color or vice versa When the painter's focus is on the color, he may over look form, while another who places greater weight on form may seecolor as an aspect that serves form Theseclassifications escape Ryoo, who creates his own artistic sphere by equally embracing both color and form. The patc hes of vivid hues in dicate that Ryoo recognizes the flatness of painting, but at the same time he reiterates the nature of painting as a world of images through the use of form.
Few painter in my mind speaks so strongly that painting is nothing more of less than painting.
