LIGHT EXISTENCE SHADOW

00. Light Existence Shadow


 

Research on 'Recording'
One of the interesting habits of human beings living in a three-dimensional world is that we record things on a two-dimensional plane. Diary entries, poems, business contracts, and paintings are examples of humans recording the world in a two-dimensional way. Although the formats differ, they are all activities of expressing the world on a plane. Artists in the past served their world on a plane in their unique methods. The beginning of Impressionism was the invention of paint tubes. With the convenience of transporting painting tools, many artists started to go outside to paint. Monet also went outside with paint tubes and an easel in both his hands. He captured the view he faced on a canvas. The artist put effort into reenacting the color of light changing in the process of the Sun rising and setting on the canvas. As a result, he came out with his unique style. Monet's paintings metaphorically depict the era he lived. Like this, a painting has an artist's unique method of recording that understands the change and flow of one's age. By researching these different ways of documenting the world, Chanbyul established her unique way of recording how she interprets the world.






The Way of Recording  the World: Shadow
Shadow appears through an interaction of light and an object. Light, as an immaterial substance, makes all other matters come into view. The shadow exists in all things that have mass, from the level of elephants to molecules. The Sun, the definitive light source on Earth, gifts one shadow to one object. Before the invention of artificial light sources, the shadow was the only thing that all the matters on Earth could equally take. After the creation, however, we easily face numerous lights and shadows that emerge from them. An object takes several shadows from lights coming from different directions. However, being used to this era, we need to pay attention to this fact. Shadow often seems like a trifle, and it has become natural to have it day and night. When the Sun was the only light source in the past, shadow existed in the daytime as evidence of the Sun, and humans even materialized invisible time. The cloned shadows from the cloned Sun live in the middle of the night. The shadows are not an exclusive property of midday anymore. Several shadows clearly and directly demonstrate the contrasting present to the past, and hence, are considered a typical symbol of the world we live in now.







Multiple Shadows Object
For the artist, a shadow is a two-dimensional record that is depicted from an interaction between a three-dimensional object and light. Recording a shadow on a plane and transforming it into a three-dimensional object is an effort to reenact the cycle of the dimensions. Leaving one side of the object flat implies that its original form is from the two-dimensional record.




Impressionism Object
Einstein's Theory of Relativity adds time of four-dimension to the traditional cognition of the three-dimensional world. Being influenced by Impressionism, her work includes the idea of time. I use candles instead of artificial lights to portray four-dimensional spacetime in her work. As time goes by, a candle burns down to become shorter and shorter, lengthening its own shadow sitting beside it. All these interactions are the orbit of time made by light and objects. The shadow is recorded on a plane every hour until a candle burns up and is transformed into a three-dimensional object. As a result, this object embraces the order of nature.






As time goes by, a candle burns down to become shorter and shorter, lengthening its own shadow sitting beside it. I view it as a track of time made by light and the object. The produced drawings catch all the traces around it. As a result, this series of paintings and ceramics reflect a rule of nature.









Shadow can be a decent way to understand the world.
Shadow appears from the interaction between light and existence. Generally, light is necessary to recognize existence. Therefore, light, shadow, and existence are inseparable sets, and the shadow becomes evidence of existence. As an artist, the shadow can be a tool to understand an object's relationship with other concepts. Through the work, the audience could open a new perspective by facing shadows on a desk, in a kitchen, in every moment.


LIGHT EXISTENCE SHADOW
01. Shadow painting










LIGHT EXISTENCE SHADOW
01. Shadow object











SHADOW WITH TIME
01. Blooming and Withering Flower







The difference between a painting and a text is that the painting stands still in a place. Both the painting and the text are created within times, but the painting seems stationary. The viewers sometimes feel paintings come to life, but for most of the audiences, the paintings are just a stationary object. Dragging countless hours, a painting gets completed and becomes a stationary object. Would not this be a reason for a lot of contemporary people finding paintings complicated?

Ever since being in the field of Arts, the most frequently asked question from others in South Korea was, “what do you feel when you look at paintings?”. When we learn about paintings, we often hear that we have to understand the artist’s perspective and views towards the world. However, how can we understand something from paintings when they do not speak? this is really complicated. On the other hand, a novel is not a big deal to be read through boring prints on a two-dimensional plane. What would be the reason for paintings that they are relatively difficult compare to novels?

A writer expresses his or her perspectives and points of view in a novel through many ways. There are several factors that support the writer’s thoughts such as a character of a protagonist, relationships between characters, a narrator, background, events, narrative styles and etc. The audience can dive into the writer’s set-up and fully understand the story by enjoy reading all the factors. This is not a difficult thing to do, as only a tiny bit of effort and time of reading the listed characters are required.

So, a novel narrates with a descriptive voice about situations, emotions and events that change through a plot of a story, whereas a painting never let you know easily. This is also the reason for famous paintings earnig their fame – the narrative of them become even more intimate after repeatably shown in educational institutions and in news.

The painting that is just standing still without saying anything is deficient to stop and hold busy modern people for a while. Hence, I would like to give a narrative to the painting. Perhaps it is a matter of course that humans living in times feel a sense of closeness with things in time, like different impressions we have in between stationary objects and alive animals or growing and withering plants that might seem stationary.


Then how would it be to capture the artist’s time and alive time on a stationary plane? The series of paintings <Blooming and Withering Flower> depict the thoughts above.  








Blooming and Withering tulips 01
114x104cm
Watercolor
2022



Record

2022.05.01

2022.05.03

2022.05.07

2022.05.10

2022.05.13









<Blooming and Withering Flower>

What sets modern sources of light apart from their predecessors, such as the sun or a candle, is that they do not move nor change with time.

Despite the evident benefits of light bulbs, what I cannot find in them are signs of vitality. In mother nature, the vitality comes from the fact that they change over time. Each carries traces of time, which makes them seem alive. However, such a trait is not present in artificial sources of light. They do not seem to interact with time.

Similarly, shadows born at night are fixed, unlike those continuously changing their shapes and directions under daylight on the streets or the walls.

By recording shadows of blooming and withering flowers, I strive to capture the concept of time, which flows like a river on us and the universe, on a two-dimensional plane. Also, only artificial light sources were used to shed shadows on and record the flowers' changes over time. Contrast exists between the human-created way of life, represented by light bulbs, and how nature abides by time, shown by the flowers' movements. By bringing this contrast to a single scene, I seek to integrate and understand these two different natures of life existing in a single world.








Blooming and Withering tulips 02
114x85cm
Watercolor
2022



Record

2022.05.03

2022.05.07

2022.05.10

2022.05.13















Withering peony 01
100x140cm
Watercolor

2022




Record

2022.05.27

2022.05.28

2022.05.29

2022.05.30

2022.06.01

2022.06.03
















Withering tulips 02
70x100cm
Watercolor

2022















Blooming peony 01

56x76cm
Watercolor
2022
















Withering tulips 01
56x76cm

Watercolor
2022








LIGHTS AND SHADOWS
01. Plant




Withered Tulips and one shadow
100x140cm
Shadow on paper with watercolor
2022



Withered Tulips and two shadows
100x140cm
Shadow on paper with watercolor
2022

















A branch of Christmas tree(Korean-Fir) and one shadow

70x100cm
Watercolor
2022




A branch of Christmas tree(Korean-Fir) and two shadows
70x100cm

Watercolor
2022




















Three flowers and one light
56x76cm

Shadow on paper with watercolor
2022





One light and three lights
56x76cm

Shadow on paper with watercolor
2022



















Common gypsophila/
one, two and three shadows

56x76/56x76/56x76cm

Shadow on paper with atercolor
2021




















Branches/one, two and three shadows
56x76/56x76/56x76cm

Shadow on paper with watercolor
2021






















A plant and five shadows
56x76cm

Shadow on paper with watercolor
2021




A plant and eight shadows
56x76cm
Shadow on paper with watercolor
2021



















A Sunflower and four shadow
56x76cm

Shadow on paper with watercolor
2022
1





A withered Gerbera and five shadows
56x76cm
Shadow on paper with watercolor
2022

















A rose and four shadows
76x56cm
Shadow on paper with watercolor
2022


A bunch of flowers and one shadow 01

76x56cm
Shadow on paper with watercolor
2022




















A bunch of flowers and one shadow
Series Blue

100x140cm
Shadow on paper with watercolor
2023


















Flowers and two shadows
100x140cm

Shadow on paper with watercolor
2022




Plants and one shadow
80x100cm

Shadow on paper with watercolor
2022

















A bunch of flowers and one shadow
Sereis Yellow 01
88x140cm

Shadow on paper with watercolor
2023


A bunch of flowers and one shadow
Sereis Yellow 02
100x140cm

Shadow on paper with watercolor
2023


















Flowers and one shadow 01
56x76cm

Shadow on paper with watercolor
2022




A bunch of flowers and one shadow 05
56x76cm

Shadow on paper with watercolor
2022
















One flower and four shadows

56x76cm
Shadow on paper with watercolor
2022
















 

A red berry spray and three shadows

56x76cm
Shadow on paper with watercolor
2022



















Common gypsophila and three shadows

70x40cm
Shadow on paper with watercolor
2022



















Flowers and four shadows
114x70cm

Shadow on paper with watercolor
2022

















A bunch of flowers and one shadow 06
140x140cm

Shadow on paper with watercolor
2022




















Common gypsophila and two shadows
100x113cm

Shadow on paper with watercolor
2022













LIGHT AND SHADOWS
02. Object



Clock hands /ver.1
100x140cm






Since shadows emerge from the interaction between light and things, they are evidence of something being material not just abstract. Chanbyul use a shadow as a tool through which to understand the relationships that humans form with different concepts and objects.

Light is an immaterial matter that reveals all other substances. Where there is light, everything with mass, from elephants to molecules, has a shadow. In a universe where light is natural, shadows are evidence of existence. In the past, there was the only one light source, the sun. It means that there was only one shadow. These days, however, human has invented artificial light sources, the light bulbs. Shadows arise according to the number of light sources. One light has one shadow, and two light sources have two shadows. Now we can see tons of artificial light sources and tons of shadows anytime, anywhere. This is the shape of the present era that is completely different from the past.

In addition, the shadow is proof that 'I' exists in the present moment as an observer. Recording a shadow is possible only when an object blocks the light and creates darkness. Chanbyul records this moment as both observer and recorder. Chanbyul hopes to deliver the idea that shadows can thus be tools through which to understand the relationships that humans form with different concepts and objects.

It means that facing the shadows represent facing the present. The shadow is a great tool for facing the world we live in Chanbyul paints with objects that can be seen in daily life and common shadows. This is to convey the idea that we can easily get new reflections on the world anytime, anywhere in our daily life.











Clock hands /ver.4

56x76cm



Clock hands /ver.3

56x76cm


















A chair and one light 1
70x100cm



A chair and one light 2
70x100cm



A chair and one light 3
70x100cm



OSTEN BIENNIAL awarded work
OSTEN Collection
















One line and eleven shadows
100x140cm

















One line  and six shadows
100x140cm




















One thread and nine shadows

70x100cm




One thread and six shadows (ver2)
70x100cm

















An extension cord and six shadows 02
100x140cm


















An extension cord and six shadows 01
100x140cm

















Sauce cup, Milk cup, Vinegar container, Pot, Cup and six shadows
100x140cm


















Pepper shaker, Candle holder, Alarm clock, Milk cup, Soap dispenser and seven shadows
100x140cm



















An eyelash curler and six shadows
75x65cm




A pair of glasses and six shadows
76x56cm




















A pair of scissors and nine shadows
76x56cm




A key and ten shadows
76x56cm





















A key and eight shadows
76x56cm




A coffee grinder and seven shadows
76x56cm




















A wine opener and seven shadows
76x56cm




AirPods and ten shadows
76x56cm














AirPods and ten lights
76x56cm




A Fork and eleven shadows
76x56cm




A Cup and twelve shadows
76x56cm





















Stand shadows
112x76cm




Shadow clock flower Ver.1
76x56cm





















A clock hand and seventeen shadows
50x40cm




A clock hand and twelve shadows
50x40cm





















A candle holder and five shadows
112x76cm




A stand lamp and five shadows
112x76cm












SHADOW NOVEL
01. The myth of a Clock flower









SHADOW NOVEL
02. A village with six suns







SHADOW NOVEL
03. A gardener





SHADOW NOVEL
00. Garden of time

INSTALLATION
01. Garden of time




INSTALLATION
02. Garden of shadow




Exhibition in Priveekollektie Contemporary Art |Design gallery 2022




NATURE OF TIME

01. Candle painting






Chanbyul Park (b. 1994) is a South Korean artist who lives and works in Eindhoven. She holds a degree in Industrial Design from Ewha Womans University in Seoul and is currently studying for a degree in Contextual Design at the Eindhoven Design Academy. Chanbyul is an artist-designer who develops her perspective on the world through research of objects and the rules of nature to understand what surrounds us and develop better awareness. Her source of inspiration is the Impressionists and Cubists whose modes of reading the world she studies, establishing her contemporary interpretation: "I paint, create objects and draw visual novels to express my ideas. I believe that understanding this world we live in leads to a better understanding of ourselves."

Park's research aims to record the order of the world in her works, paying particular attention to the theme of time that has an invisible character but that at the same time is perceived by humanity. Impressionism Object is the name given to the entire series in which she uses candles as a material to record time – the title refers to the Impressionist approach with particular attention paid to the passage of time.  Nature of Time is part of this vast series, composed of drawings, sculptures and design objects: "This painting is a trace drawn by drops of a candle. The shape varies and never repeats itself because of many natural phenomena such as the time it takes the wax to flow and solidify or the direction in which the wind blows, the position, the temperature and the humidity". This work is the visual documentation of the natural order of nine loose candles deeply influenced by external conditions and time.

Text by Laura Pieri















Nature of time 01
Candle on watercolor paper
2021








Nature of time 02
Candle on watercolor paper
2021









3hour 10minute











7hour 12minute










13hour 8minute










11hour 36minute











10hour 21minute











8hour 22minute











10hour 13minute











9hour 39minute











9hour 3minute











5hour 35mnute


Records the daily life
between humans and objects
in three dimensions

01. Object verb


Photo credit @pierrecastig

Human beings have developed various combination systems and have recombined them to produce innumerable creations such as mathematics, engineering, and language. Over thousands of years, language that forms the essay has been the greatest system that humans have combined. This combination composes the essay as a method to express one’s world. However, in the exhibition which aims to derive alternative essays as a methodology, Park takes an ‘object’ as a material to draw a new type of essay and departs from the standard of the written format of it.

Like language, humans have applied knowledge to make basic combination systems for objects, in which we call it as design in other words. A cap of a bottle, a handle for a cup, and wheels in a suitcase are the examples of a perfectly calculated formula for their combination systems. However, despite both language and objects using the same ‘combination’ methodology, their forms and impressions are completely different.

As a starting point, the designer carried out research on differences between a text and an object, in which she finds it as ‘the record of a movement alive in a time frame’. Although both language and objects are created within the passage of time, unlike language, the objects look standstill in a time frame. A sentence on the other hand clearly depicts both the movement of a subject and the mobility of time by itself through ‘verbs’ and ‘tenses’. The objects have their movements through humans and can neither involve any movements nor record time on its own. This is the reason why objects seem stationary away from time.




It perhaps is a matter of course that humans feel a sense of closeness with characters that have temporality, like different impressions we have in between stationary objects and alive animals or growing and withering plants that might seem stationary. Chanbyul wants to make the objects to be seen lively in a time frame by itself. To do so, Park grants incidents to her objects and captures their kinetic actions that are created while interacting with humans. When incidents are created in a time frame, the objects with incidents also obtain temporality.

In the work <Object Verb>, the objects remember each of the incidents that happened to their body. Park recombines the objects with clay that gets deformed by external forces. Using this nature, she records lively movements that the objects experience in daily life. By visually revealing these moments, Chanbyul transforms each object into a character of a novel and narrates with her objects by granting them incidents and characteristics.

“We are moving but also confined in a spot of existing time.” – Time by Alexander Demandt

The work <Object Verb> records and visually holds the spot of time for its evidence. The current movement that will become a past is captured in the real object and is being led to the future. This signals that the objects are present with human beings in time.















Copyright2021©. Chanbyul Park All rights reserved.