The Overview Effect

Artist Yoon Sungfeel released a short video about his work process (Chaos, Cosmos, Circulation) at the solo exhibition held in Hanmi Gallery. This video shot by his colleague, artist Mathew Szecheny 2 years ago, harks back to how he managed to survive death due to asthma when he was young. This is why the artist is strongly drawn to the creation of universe and the world as well as to principles of change.
Yun Sungfeel expressed the dynamics contained in forms by fusing materials such as stainless steel or iron and tightening nuts and bolts in his early works which had abstract names such as ‘creation’ and ‘circulation’ including his series and (2005). These works which reveal tight tension while creating more and more metal bands are the fruit of the artist’s psychological concentration and physical labor of assembling and polishing in all the relevant processes that took place.
What is especially noticeable in his recent works is how conceptual exploration of 2D and 3D is added to them by juxtaposing them with the artworks he made in the past which have a high degree of completeness. ‘Energy’ trapped in format and medium comes pouring out and flowing over the surface. Iron powder mixed with water and an adhesive makes a circle or flows down and piles up. Walls that have devices such as a motor attached to them mount ‘space’ and a variety of objects such as coins, wires, iron powder, iron marbles vibrate while making irregular movements on top of them. His work style changed from focusing on 3D works which reflected adamancy of self-fulfillment to the accumulation of such specific and vivid traces. His 3 meters-high displayed in this exhibition shows the trajectory of an iron wire whose movements are unpredictable as they are controlled by a machine spinning behind the walls. Contrary to the strictly planned movements of the control device made up of modules, this shape memory alloy made of iron wire draws indifferent doodles or unconscious drawings while moving freely as it pleases.
Perhaps a factor more significant than his sincere and unrelenting attitude of creating artworks, 8 years of studying abroad and his activities in Europe drove this change. In other words, the bold attempt at reflecting the concept of the creation and circulation of the universe has now gained a more mature perspective. His works which experimented with disrupted forms, liquid fluidity and vibrations seem to have the confusion present in our lives and the world we now live in. Isn’t that confusion precisely the vitality itself that cannot be captured with a conceptual picture? Just like the 5-years old daughter on a kickboard kicking the ground hard to push it ahead toward the artist’s workshop in the aforementioned video.