Yoo Youngkuk

At Bunka Gakuin YYK decided to major in abstract painting even though there was no professor who could teach abstract art. However, he determined to study something completely different from the traditional painting, so he pursued his way to abstract art on his own. YYK made debut as an artist at the 7th exhibition of Independent Artists Association in 1937 and participated in Jiyu-ten by the association of free artists from the beginning, and won the grand prize at the second exhibition(1938) and became a fellow of the society. It was the prize that made him to participate in the mainstream of the Japanese avant-garde movement. Unfortunately, his works during this period were all lost during the Korean War except some of his relief works remaining in the form of postcards later reproduced by his daughter Yoo Lizzy(1945-2013),[5] a metal craft artist herself. Those original reliefs were made in the late 1930s almost at the same time with Piet Mondrian and Jean Arp who led the Abstraction-Création group in Paris, showing that YYK was keenly aware of the artistic movements around the world and participated in the cutting-edge movement.[6]

YYK learned photography at Oriental Photography School in Tokyo and his photo works were exhibited at the Jiyu-ten. During the outbreak of the World War II, artists were forced to work on documentary war paintings in Japan and an artist such as Hasegawa Saburo, unwilling to comply with the policy, chose to work on photography. This might have affected YYK to some degree, but he later recollected that he learned photography as a means of living for the future.[7] His photo works portrayed mostly historical remains of Gyengju the old capital of Silla (B.C.57–A.D.935).

With Kim Whanki and Lee Kyusang, YYK started Sinsasil-pa and held the 1st exhibition at the Hwashin department store gallery in Seoul (1948), and the group activity continued till 1953 (the 3rd exhibition was held at Busan due to the breakout of Korean War in 1950). Even though the group was quite small in size, all the group members were experienced artists in Tokyo and their vision and manifesto left lasting impact on the Korean art circle. YYK was a key figure in establishing the character of Sinsasil-pa and also leading figure in overall Korean art scenes from the late ‘50s to the early '60s in contextualizing and fixating modern art in Korea.[8] Nature, and to be more specific mountains, began to appear as the motif of his work.

Work, 1963, oil on canvas, 130x162cm

During the first three months when Seoul was occupied by the North Korean Army (June 28-Sep 28, 1950) and the following several months after the liberation of Seoul, YYK and his family had to endure extreme hunger and poverty. On the brink of the second occupation of Seoul by the North Korean Army in January 1951, YYK and his family escaped to his hometown, Uljin, but the economic situation was no better. There, YYK took over the brewery factory and a fishing boat of the family that were not operating for years and worked as an entrepreneur as well as a laborer. With good business skills and almost fierce efforts, YYK became one of the most prosperous men of the town within few years. However, YYK quitted the business at the peak of financial success and moved up to Seoul to paint again.

During the ages between late twenties to early forties, YYK was out of his profession just to survive and support his family in the tumultuous social environment. Later, YYK regretfully recollected the period as "a lost decade". However, the brewery business, that he left to his younger brother, Yoo Youngjin, to manage, provided his family basic income through the years when his abstract painting was not a feasible means of making a living at all and allowed him to concentrate in his artwork. All of YYK's art works before the Korean war were destroyed during the war except two and the works exhibited at the 3rd Sinsasil-pa exhibition at Busan in 1953 were later found in deteriorated shapes and subsequently restored.

YYK became a founding member of Modern Art Society (from 1957) and the works made in this period showed several characteristics; complicated yet diverse dimensional composition, thick and strong outlines making rigid but geometrical forms, heavily painted primary colors delivering unique texture.[10] Even though abstraction was the major focus that YYK delved into, semblance to the landscapes of Uljin and Jukbyun could be found in his works.

Since 1958, the thick and strong lines disappeared and vivid color phases appeared on the canvas. The keen strokes often resembled the outbreaks of the Earth's crust and sharp diagonal lines brought dynamics on the canvas.[11] The sharp contrast of colors and density of compositions are the main characteristic of YYK's work. Kim Byungki, the art critic and artist, once mentioned about this characteristic of YYK's work that "the energy, like when lava explodes from the crate, bursting out from the painting delivers inexplicable emotions to the viewers.[12]" The lines traversing the canvas like flash of light enhance this sensation. Lee Il, the critic, wrote that the balance and harmony of colors in paintings suggested that YYK's usage of color reached a certain level of mastery, and Kim Youngjoo also depicted that his works carried the essence of our era.[13] Compared to the previous works portraying the nature with strict composition, the works in this period deliver tensions with dynamics and motional senses freed from any rules that YYK explored in the previous era.

Work, 1964, oil on canvas, 130x194cm

In his 50s, YYK started to explore geometrical forms and primary colors. The thick and rough texture of the paints of the previous era disappeared and over all the calmness and stability were brought to the canvases.[14] Primary and complementary colors were used to escalate the visual sensation, and lines intersecting the spaces diagonally, vertically, and horizontally imparted a sense of dynamism to the canvas where essential figurative elements of natural objects were extracted in their simplest forms and repeatedly duplicated to provide depth and perspective to the painting. Shades of the sunlight and spatial composition drawn as straight lines or main figures appearing as negative exposition inside the primary color field were typical characteristics of YYK's work of this period[15]

In 1977, YYK moved from Yaksu-dong where he lived for thirty years to Deungchon-dong, which was an outskirts of Seoul. The newly built house was very quiet and surrounded by a little hill at the back with many trees, and through the windows of the atelier he could see pheasants coming to rest in his backyard. Works belonging to this period were painted in gentler colors using softer lines, which provided intimacy and comfort rather than tension and rigor, compared to those made in previous years. Trees were often depicted as ‘Y’ shapes and mountains showed softer and rounder angles.[16]

In his later years, YYK suffered from many kinds of illnesses. He used to be hospitalized for months at a time; for myocardial infarction (1976), thighbone fracture (1979), heart surgery(1983), hip joint surgery(1984), several strokes and so on. Even though deteriorating health severely limited his activities, YYK remained serene and sharp to the end. Almost defiantly, YYK refused to rest and said in an interview, "Now that I am getting old, I need more enthusiasms and stimuli to continue. When I stare at my paintings, I feel passionate tension, which fills me with some ardor and enthusiasm. I will train myself and paint with this kind of passion and enthusiasm to the end.[17]" In his final days, he could work less than few hours a day on a wheelchair. The works created around this time, when he lived in Deungchon-dong and Bangbae-dong, bring the sense of tenderness and comfort because they are painted in pure colors and figures are presented in softer and gentler way more than ever. The screen has been flattened and the basic patterns; such as circles, triangles, and rectangles depicting sky, mountain, Sun, trees, etc. are repeated to deliver joy and delights of life.

Work, 1994, oil on canvas, 66x91cm

• Kim, Gwang-wu, "Abstracting Landscape: The Formativeness in Yoo Youngkuk's work", The Professor's Times, December 1, 2003.
• Lee, Inbum, "Neo Realism Group – The First Pure Painterly Artist Group", (Art Culture, 2008).
• Oh, Gwangsu, "Abstract Shape and Color Field Composition: The Art World of Yoo Youngkuk", in Yoo Youngkuk 10th Anniversary Exhibition Catalogue, (Paju: Maronie Books, 2012).
• Oh, Gwangsu, Yoo Youngkuk, the pioneer of Korean Abstract Art – His Life and Prospect, (Paju: Maronie Books, 2012).
• Park, Chun-nam, Yoo Youngkuk Solo Exhibition Catalogue, (Hoam Art Gallery, 1996