“Art can never exist without naked beauty displayed.”
William Blake (1757-1827), in Complete Writings, ed. Geoffrey Keynes (1957). Notes on The Laocoön (engraved c. 1820).
In Korean society, female sexuality and nudity are something hidden. The older and the younger generations show quite different perception toward such nudity. Well known print artist Jeong Ho Park and young photo artist Saerom Park approach the femininity and its sensitive beauty with their different unique style and media based on their different sexuality and generation. Jeong Ho Park expresses his adoration of femininity and interpretation of his desire as a man. While, Saerom Park as a young generation of woman, she shows her desire of herself and obsession to the beauty from a female perspective.
Jeong Ho Park’s black and white mezzotint prints allure to the beauty and sensitiveness of the female body. With his masterful skill of using mezzotint print, he accomplishes the seductive body like a velvety skin and smooth curve on a dark background. The body floats in the absolute dark night with moon light emphasizing the softness.
Saerom Park places herself in the image of a water bottle creating the tranquil sexuality. Her obsession to the water bottle is to show her desire to be wanted and to be attractive to others. The transparent image of herself makes her like a nymph emphasizing the purity of the image.
The exhibition opens on Saturday 7 March, 2009 at 5PM and will run through 5 April at Edward Pranger Oriental Art Gallery on Nieuwe Spiegelstraat 53, Amsterdam. For more information, visit the website of the conceptual Yoshiko Matsumoto Gallery.