The mountain ridge scenery appears to overlap over several layers, but it was actually created using a complex process of first drawing on a sheet of soonji (traditional Korean paper), then rubbing the paper together to create creases, applying a layer of coating, and finally painting over it with acrylic. Although it would be difficult to put everything in writing, the steps described in sequential order are as follows: First, white acrylic paint diluted with water is applied thinly onto the soonji, and once it is dry, this process is repeated. Next, the soonji is rubbed by hand to create creases (cracks), and is soaked in more diluted paint. Next, the soonji is hand-wrung for a bit, laid out to dry and finished with a layer of coating. Finally, as the soonji is mounted onto a canvas or panel, more acrylic paint is applied as needed, and then a gloss varnish is applied on the surface. It is a very tedious and complicated process. To put it simply, the soonji is soaked in water and rubbed, and the natural/inevitable traces that result from this process become the image of the painting. It is a scene created by the flow of the soonji and water, but the subtle and delicate colors made by nature and the trivial creases and coating combine to produce a twinkling surface that captures a moment of nature’s mystery. In that sense the scenery is quite emotional and sentimental. More than a scene trapped in time, the painting speaks to an actual scene of nature where language and words are rendered powerless and a paradoxical creation, both disdained and emotionally moved, opens the creases with difficulty, revealing the destined traces and vestiges.

Lines Made by Nature

Young-Taek Park (Art critic, Kyonggi University professor)

Tae-Kyoo Lim’s works developed naturally out of the environment of his daily life. He lives together with nature. His workroom sits still, nestled in the beautiful, rolling landscape of Yangsu-ri. The surrounding nature methodologically pushes and ascends, its untouched contents becoming the next work of art. This is not to describe the environment as mechanical and deterministic; but rather as an extremely natural process and result. His previous work is abstract and looks as if the specific subject of the piece was expressed by globs of paint dropped onto a canvas. Traces of passionate clots of paint litter the surface, as if it was first rubbed with a brush, then splattered with paint. Within this work of abstract expressionism, which gives the audience a peek into the gestures that were used to create the art piece, exists a relatively thick line, like that of a tree trunk or telephone pole. Though it is made out of paint, it is also a line of substance. The subject matter and image slips back and forth between abstraction and form depending on the viewer’s line of sight. At any rate, this line that exists within the painting does not command a specific form and is highly impressive. It brings dignity to the painting, and gives the impression that it is holding back the urge to materialize. From the top to the bottom are traces of passing strokes, and the painting conveys an emotional impulse to bring these brushstrokes to life. That line is also emerging in this present work.

Unlike the abstract work of his early days, nature makes a more direct appearance in his most recent work. This is a painting that was started in 2000. It is difficult to say that the painting is a direct reproduction of nature. It is a scene of a mountain ridge covered in fog and rain with a single, thin branch. Although it looks like an ink-and-wash painting, it is not; and although it looks like a bare tree, it is not that either. It is an actual branch that was used for this specific piece of art. In addition, this painting is the product of a unique construction method that, in fact, followed the natural growth of the branch.

The mountain ridge scenery appears to overlap over several layers, but it was actually created using a complex process of first drawing on a sheet of soonji (traditional Korean paper), then rubbing the paper together to create creases, applying a layer of coating, and finally painting over it with acrylic. Although it would be difficult to put everything in writing, the steps described in sequential order are as follows: First, white acrylic paint diluted with water is applied thinly onto the soonji, and once it is dry, this process is repeated. Next, the soonji is rubbed by hand to create creases (cracks), and is soaked in more diluted paint. Next, the soonji is hand-wrung for a bit, laid out to dry and finished with a layer of coating. Finally, as the soonji is mounted onto a canvas or panel, more acrylic paint is applied as needed, and then a gloss varnish is applied on the surface. It is a very tedious and complicated process. To put it simply, the soonji is soaked in water and rubbed, and the natural/inevitable traces that result from this process become the image of the painting. It is a scene created by the flow of the soonji and water, but the subtle and delicate colors made by nature and the trivial creases and coating combine to produce a twinkling surface that captures a moment of nature’s mystery. In that sense the scenery is quite emotional and sentimental. More than a scene trapped in time, the painting speaks to an actual scene of nature where language and words are rendered powerless and a paradoxical creation, both disdained and emotionally moved, opens the creases with difficulty, revealing the destined traces and vestiges.

This created image is a reflection of the untouched scenery of the fog-covered river and mountains that surround the artist’s workroom in Yangsu-ri. The natural flow of the materials used stimulates the eyes, brain and experiences of the viewers, and calls forth the afterimage of the scenery. It appeals to the universal and archetypal memories that Koreans experience in nature and touches upon the aesthetic sense of love and admiration.

This painting is composed of lines that create boundaries in the drawing, and these boundary lines are what create the image. These lines are naturally created by the water and paint that the soonji is soaked in. And by repeatedly applying pressure to the soonji, unanticipated creases are formed on the surface. In this way, it is not an artificial product, but rather, the result of destiny’s intervention. According to the artist’s methodology, the painting is created naturally out of lines that easily and comfortably appear to create a pure image of nature. In fact, this is a representing characteristic of Korean art. This aspect was evident in ancient Korean art, as well as all classic renditions of modern Korean art. For Tae-Kyoo Lim, this wasn’t a conscious decision; it was the result of his workroom being immersed in nature for a significant amount of time.

Works of art made from paper have different personalities from those made of wood. Works of wood refer to pieces containing reproduced images of trees, as well as those that contain actual pieces of wood as material. The artist selected a branch from his surroundings, and stripped the outermost layer off before placing it plainly on the painting. He attached it to the surface as if it were an inlaid design. The branch was collected from its original tree, and then transferred from a three-dimensional object to a flat surface. Because a round tree branch cannot become two-dimensional, the artist split the branch into two parts and carved it before attaching to the painting. He also filled the surrounding areas with paint and a mixture of materials. It is as if the solitary tree branch is being engulfed by a forest of materials around it. In this way, the artist froze the fascinating branch that was created by nature in an eternal moment. The solid object, nature and paints were summoned to the flat surface of the painting. They were safely laid to rest there. However, every so often a few branches escape the flat surface so the artist welded steel together to recreate the branches. The moment the branches escape the flat surface, they become pieces of furniture and come into contact with other objects, creating a different kind of scenery. Perhaps the artist has a longing to become part of nature. In fact, human beings cannot create beauty. This is a somewhat conclusive expression, but only nature can create beauty. Humans can admire and imitate the beauty created by nature, be conscious of the its position and follow its lead. Tae-Kyoo Lim’s art piece naturally originated from the beautiful and captivating scenery that surrounds his workroom. He consciously and subconsciously conceived of this process, and one day turned it into this mesmerizing workofart.