JEAN RAH
나 진 숙
The Wave of Jean Rah’s Work
Han-Seung Ryu,
Arts & Sciences Researcher of National Museum of Contemporary Art
In the past, Jean Rah has used the wave of breath, water and wind as titles for her works and has also used the images where the wave of water and wind could be felt when an image is shed onto an embossed sculpture. According to the dictionary, the term “grain” is defined as the background formed by an accumulation of the hard and soft formations on trees, stones, and the skin, etc., and sometimes, it also refers to the unevenness in the different levels of wave of breath and water In this way, “grain” directs at the conditions of strength and weakness as well as high and low, and its meaning is closer to being dynamic and flexible than being fixed and rigid. The artist adds the concept of time to this. This time is the time we spend on living our lives. The time we experience is advocated by memories and recollections, and these pile up and get accumulated to form “grains”. And the concrete images of the works take on the role of a catalyst that allows for these memories and recollections.
Jean Rah often uses the form of the square block. Although there is only a single image on a block, sometimes, many blocks are combined to form a single image. Naturally, each of these images has a unique meaning and symbol, but these become a larger image, rather than being connected organically. This consists of a creation of a single whole meaning through the connection of many fragments, and it can be seen to be similar to our human lives.
The individual images appearing in the square blocks are sometimes related to faint remembrances and sometimes to the hopes of the future. They sometimes show the yearning for freedom, as well as the warmth like that of a mother’s bosom. (omitted)
Jean Rah uses relatively colorful materials and techniques. Of course, it would be difficult to call a person a sculptor just because he or she marks and casts an image on wood and rubber surfaces, as it is difficult to call a person an image artist just because he or she utilizes images. This is because all of these methods are for designating the contents that she wants to pursue. As a matter of fact, the harmony of form and contents cannot be emphasized enough in art, and therefore, can be something that is quite commonplace. What we have to think about in the works of Jean Rah is exactly this point. She endlessly searches for the form that best fits the content more than any other artist does. The artist’s keen and subtle sensitivity lies below these efforts. Her story seeks to approach and communicate with the audience within the comfortable harmony of content and form.
Extracted from the Contents of the 2007 Youngeun Artist’s Workshop