Artist

Sohn Young - Chul

It seems there are a lot of barriers which need certain steps to the burning desire of the soul.
How many barriers will be there to get the top position where this body can get a view of the whole earth at one look? What consciousness is not the leaf of grass and stone either on the earth or on any other planet, but it's continuance of powerful sensation of movement from the outside of the Ozone and get into a place in another dimension.
I, now am going to explicate these three elements, a spirit, consciousness and time clearly before anything else. Doing so will help to understand my art a little bit more easily. A spirit, consciousness and time are both complementary and antimonious. Unconsciousness and a higher consciousness are not restricted by time. Only those ambiguous states in the middle of two are restricted by time. It causes dual divisions such as right and wrong, high and low, life and earth et cetera. The point where time collapses, a genuine awareness where there is no sense of time is the fundamental goal of my work.
True reality moves without a definite position on either subject or object. Deep emotion makes reality possible. The 'subjective I' will be purified by my creative act and after purification the 'subjective I will change to 'objective I' to make movement possible. Deep emotion replaces the idea of 'you' & 'I' .
Working with illusion and reality signifies the nature of materiality's importance to reality. To Oriental consciousness it is the equivalent to the human having two legs, two eyes, the body housing the transcendental condition.
I wonder if modern psychology observes illusion more progressively and precisely. Even Jung (who connected the depths of the human consciousness with the oriental idea of the world after death) is not too clear on whether the object 'I' is to be overcome or observed as a limitation. It becomes a knowledge system. Like all knowledge, we need to realize that it is a n expression of monomaniac potentiality and a strong marching of ego. The limitation is the subjective 'I' and we should burn the ego with the nature of materiality and fly far away. Just like the flame of a rocket...

The performance installation Ghost's Break Wind is Young-Chul Sohn's first Canadian exhibition. After his graduation in 1989 from the School of Fine Art, Kyoungwon University in Seoul, Sohn earned a reputation for his cutting edge art practice in Korea. In 1991 he faced obscenity charges for his installation/performance Rock to Buddha II where he had attached a golden statue to his nude body. His recent work has involved direct physical contact with the elements, rocks, wind, fire and water as he continues to explore 'the nature of illusionment'.

Artist Code: 663

Videography

Half Dreaming and Half Awake

1995, 21:47 minutes, colour

The Eye of Heaven

1992, 14:00 minutes, colour

the God of the Earth, Water, Fire and Wind

1992, 35:00 minutes, colour

from Stone to Buddha

1991, 11:00 minutes, colour

Among Truth

1991, 05:30 minutes, colour

The Red Shadow...

1990, 08:30 minutes, colour