On the Familiarity of the Alien Painting

On the Familiarity of the Alien My works are drawn from different manifestations of nature such as aspects of trees, plants and common landscapes to which we usually pay little or no attention. Sometimes we can experience the boundary between the real and the ideal through single-pointed concentration free of conceptual thought. We are surrounded by many things of which we are not consciously aware. Sometimes even everyday things and situations can seem alien to us. This may be because we simply do not notice their presence or fail to dwell on their existence. Human beings are defined by their interdependent relationship with other human beings and their environments. Sometimes we are aware of this and sometimes we are not. This is the essence of Oriental philosophy and the source of all vitality. When we lose this awareness we are drained of energy, but when we regain it our strength returns. The spirit of the era and the state of the environment determine our destiny. Therefore, we must never ignore even trivial, little things that give meaning to our lives. It is these alien - yet familiar - perceptions that I endeavor to integrate into my work. Sometimes I try to capture the motion and structure of things as well as the passing of time with my brush strokes. This aspect of my work grants me insight into the natural harmony that pervades all existence. It is this which is required to transcend distracted consciousness and to realize the boundlessness of space. All my work is based on the experience of being on or going beyond these boundaries. It is a dialogue with our environment and a discourse on existence, which ultimately leads back to familiarity. Pyo Youngyong (Artist)