The Forest of Recollection Visible through Oblivion

A majority of people do not question, but rather take for granted, the fact that they can see the objects in front of them. To define ?seeing an object? from a biological perspective, is the transfer of the reflection of a figure in the retina to the brain through the optic nerves. If ?sight? is limited to this, the function of a human?s vision is no greater than determining whether there is an object in front of them or not. However, while we fail to recognize, we see projections of numerous things, extending past the things standing in front of us. Cognition of an object incorporates new facts generated from memories and occasions from an individual?s past. As the invisible process of storing and erasing memories repeats countlessly, they diffuse into our vision. Although we may have the same object standing in front of us, we may be looking at something entirely different reflected in each of our eyes. Like this, Kim Keon Il endlessly investigates and questions the ability to objectively look at the identity of an object and wonders about the meaning of memories and oblivion in relation to our sight.

The artist tries to stimulate thought about an everyday life activity, sight, through a sculpting method called anamorphosis. Anamorphosis has the characteristic that a specific image can only be seen from a certain point and not others. He uses this characteristic in his pieces so that depending on where one is standing, the piece looks different. The repetitive image of tangled leaves appears like a maze of memory and oblivion. The artist tries to be aware of the things beyond the things we see, and thus alerts us of our overstated belief in what we see. Kim Geon-il?s pieces make us realize that the things that we had believed to see change and thus leads us to a philosophical question questioning the identity of an object and furthermore our existence.

In addition to anamophosis, the artist repeatedly paints and takes of oil paints to further contribute to the same theme. The artist seeks to express the process of storing and erasing memories and the process through which new perspectives on objects are created. Through the process of painting and taking off oil paints from traditional Korean paper, he draws two images in one picture. He completely covers the first image he drew with oil paint, cleans the picture in the shape of grass, and as he draws the second image, he finds the images covered in the paint. If we consider the covering up as the process of forgetting, the shape of grass resulting from the cleaning of the picture is the result of trying to find the truth by dwelling on memories. If we had a subconscious, complete oblivion does not exist, and the artist already has this assumption. Kim Geon- il expresses the images that have not yet been found as the conscious on the other side of our memory through the traces of paint.

Looking at Kim Geon-il?s pieces, brings us to question whether our optical visions mean looking at objects from an objective perspective. We may have believed until now that the objects we wanted to see are objects of our memory while the objects we didn?t want to see represent oblivion. Like this, the cycle of memory and oblivion is a like a large forest that at times tangles and untangles our memory. This exhibition will bring you to think of how the forest of memory and oblivion exists in your mind. Depending on the image of the forest in your mind, the object you see may be a result of history from the memories that bring you to want to remember or not to remember the object.