Multiplification of the Reality in Contemporary Sculpture

현대조각에 있어서 실재의 다중화

  • You, Jae-Heung (Dept. of Science of Fine Art Graduate School of Hong-ik University)
  • 유재흥 (홍익대학교 대학원 미술학과)
  • Published : 2007.12.31

Abstract

Today, the modern art is extremely diverse. It is denying its own boundary through chaos, extreme, abjection. In fact the diversity of the modern art can be best described as questioning and challenging to the essence of the reality, rather than the artistic pursuit of the beauties. The pursuit of the reality has been a long lasting discourse since the ancient. Through the history, the reality (referent) and representation (image) has been complementing and disposing each other in a relationship of a meaningful construction until the modern times. The limit of modernistic self-reference and the emergence of the figure leads to the emergence of Post-modernism in a trend of experimenting new visual arts. The return to the figure is clearly distinguished from existing representation's system and it brought new meanings to approaches and interpretations of the reality. In the case of Pop arts of 1960's and the following the modern sculptures, which is covered by this thesis, I put an emphasis on the diversification of those via changed strategies on the reality. In a situation where the reality is dictated by signified, the modern arts can no longer stay on a classic concept of representation, rather it pursuits new system and diverse strategies. I provide three types of strategic characters of the reality and the diversification of reality: the transition of the reality. These three types can be used as a frame work, which is supporting new aspects of the modern arts in reflecting on existing system. Therefore, the reason of categorizing is to distinguish modernistic arts and post modernistic arts, and to propose new post-modernistic discourses. Adapting J.F, Lyotard's view, absence is used to trace down the diversification of the reality thorough the sublime on the deconstruction of the mega discourses and the relationship of representation. Based on H. Faster's theory of the appropriation, the appropriation is used to exemplify the strategies of visual arts are in variations and being delayed. Lastly, in the transition, J. Baudrilliard's simulacre is used in terms of the concept of post modernistic representation. Based on the core of his theories, the deconstruction of existing concepts and simulation as the post modernistic representation, and the world of hyperreality based on simulacre are explained. These allows us to deny that representation is the expression of reality through mimesis. My aim is to work on the definition of the arts and representation in the modern era, and go further from there in order to clarify meaning and extension of the modern sculptures. Now two artists are reviewed based on their own art works: George Seagal; Jeff Koons. They are selected among numerous artists from the Post Modern era. Epic contents and emphasis on daily life of Seagal's works show good examples to artists from Pop Arts and following time period and may have served as a start point for Postmodernism. Indeed, he tried to show a newly defined relationship between art works and daily life experience. On the other hand, J.Koons used the strategies of fabrication and appropriation, which shows characteristics of the postmodernism. Through his four individual exhibitions, he shows the diversification of the reality based on art works as fetishistic merchandises, and newly defined concept of Ready-made since M Duchamp. Lastly, the diversification of the reality is analyzed again in context of my art works. I focused on the return to the figure among a variety of trends of late 20 th century modern sculpture. It showed the post modernistic point of view on the reality. Post modernistic diversified strategies are adopted as a method of distinguishing each art works via the diversification of the reality. This is the result of contemporary social and cultural situations.

Keywords