C O E X I S T E N C E
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Artist's Note
The animal that greatly symbolizes South Korea is the tiger. But there were also leopards on the other hand. Our ancestors have long called leopards and tigers “범” (Pronunciation: Beom / Meaning: Tiger), formed by merging the names of the two animals together. The Korean Leopard (Amur Leopard) was the preeminent predator of the Korean Peninsula and a large-scale beast. The total population of the Korean Leopard was larger than that of the tigers. Because of this, our country was called “The Land of Leopard.”
The Korean Leopard disappeared from the Korean peninsula in the middle of the 20th century due to indiscriminate overhunting during the Japanese colonial era. The Korean Leopard became obscured by the reputation of the tiger, and even its existence was forgotten. The reasons for overhunting were for fur and meat, and sometimes, they were due to humanity's hope of healing due to the supposed spirituality of leopards.
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The works of endangered animals began with questions, such as,"Is the hypocrisy and greed of an anthropocentric view worth so much that it might threaten the lives of other species?"
The material chosen to represent the leopard in my work is “clay.”
The reddish lump of clay used in the process of gluing and cutting was the best medium to showcase their primitive energies, wiggling vital power, eyes that shine with the wildness, and the traces of a rough life. I wanted to look at the world and feel life through their point of view. I wanted to include the fact that this marvelous creature coexisted in nature. Its species was born through the course of millions of years, but through the greed of humanity, became an endangered species. I wanted to express that moment, and the loss of coexistence.
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Is their beauty blessed or tragic?
Every country or ethnic group has its own animal symbolizing itself because of the relation with the birth myth of a nation or the ecological characteristics of territory. Tiger was the animal of Korea as it has diversely appeared in our lives such as myth, tale, proverb, folk painting, and Olympic mascot. Therefore, tiger is an animal familiar to us. However, they could be also leopards. Our ancestors generally called leopard and tiger as ‘tiger’ for a long time. That is why sometimes the tiger in folk paintings was a leopard with spotted marks. Leopard was a large savage beast as the apex predator of the Korean Peninsula. One time in Korea, the number of leopard was more than the number of tiger as Korea was called 'the land of leopards'. However, many people do not even know that they lived in our forest. Unfortunately, in the middle of the 20th century in our land, both tigers and leopards disappeared due to thoughtless overhunting in the Japanese colonial era. Currently, it is designated as the 1st class endangered species. Of course, the reason for the overhunting was the fur and meat, and sometimes, it was a hope for healing based on their miracle. Accidentally, in a black-and-white photo, I saw the last leopard of Korea ending his life after being raised for 12 years in Changgyeong Palace since captured alive in 1962. However, the leopard in the photo was not the energetic beast shown in documentaries. He looked sad and exhausted by spectators’ eyes. From the moment of being captured alive in mountain to the moment of taking the last breath, he probably missed the silent and dynamic forest, warm soil, mist at dawn, thick trees, soft breeze, high sky, and shiny waves. What if the leopard tragically ending his life in the photo goes back to the forest? This work is originated from this imagination. The starting point of having interest in leopard was my cats. As more data was found, I was more attracted to it as a mysterious, marvelous, and perfect life. How come I cannot be attracted to such clear and strong eyes, beautiful pattern, elegant and flexible movement, and sleek and strong power? I wanted to show that this marvelous creature used to coexist in our forest, by containing everything of this beautiful life such as rough breath, elegant movement, eyes filled with wild nature, and wriggling vitality. I also wanted to talk about the sadness that the species created through millions of years was designated as an endangered species because of humans’ greed. It is even sadder that this tragic destiny is still ongoing.Is human’s taste valuable enough to threaten other species’ life? When forest and leopards were alive, humans had fear of and respect for nature. Leopard let people know the limitation of power. If there was no limitation of fear, human would not be able to get wisdom. Praising fearlessness as braveness and inspiring self-confidence to conquer anything might be driving human and the earth into catastrophe.
– Artist’s Note 2016 -
그들의 아름다움은 축복인가... 비극인가...
어느 국가나 민족에는 스스로를 상징하는 동물이 있기 마련이다. 건국신화와 관련이 있거나 국토의 생태적 특성 때문이기도 하다. 그것이 우리에게는 말할 것도 없이 호랑이였다. 신화, 설화, 속담, 민화, 올림픽 마스코트 등으로 우리 삶속에 다양하게 등장해왔기 때문이다. 그래서 우리에게 호랑이는 친숙한 동물이다. 그러나 우리가 알고 있는 그들은 한편 표범이기도 했다. 호랑이의 순 우리말은 ‘범’이다. 豹(표)라는 한자로 표범을 표현하기도 했지만 우리 조상들은 오랫동안 표범과 호랑이를 ‘범’으로 아울러서 불러왔다. 그래서 민화에 등장하는 호랑이도 종종 점박이 무늬의 표범이었던 것이다.
표범은 한반도의 최상위 포식동물이자 대형 맹수였고 한때 우리나라는 ‘표범의 땅’이라고 불릴 만큼 개체수도 호랑이보다 많았다. 하지만 그들이 우리의 숲에 살았다는 사실조차 모르는 이들이 많을 것이다.
슬프게도 지금은 호랑이도, 표범도 일제 강점기의 무분별한 남획으로 20세기 중반에 이미 우리 땅에서는 사라졌고 현재 멸종위기종 1급으로 지정되어있다. 남획의 이유는 당연하게도 모피와 고기였고, 때로는 그들의 영험성으로 인한 치유의 소망이었다.
우연히 보게 된 흑백사진 속 표범은 1962년에 산 채로 잡혀 창경원에서 12년 동안 사육되다가 생을 마감한 한국의 마지막 표범이었다. 그러나 사진 속 표범은 다큐멘터리에서 보았던 생명력이 넘치는 맹수의 모습이 아니었다. 관람객들의 시선에 지쳐있었고 슬퍼보였다.
그는 산에서 생포되었던 순간부터 마지막 숨을 내뱉는 순간까지 내내 그리워했을 것이다. 고요하면서도 역동적인 숲, 포근한 흙, 새벽안개, 울창한 나무, 부드러운 바람, 높은 하늘, 반짝이는 물결들을.
비극으로 생을 마감한 사진 속 표범이 다시 숲으로 돌아간다면...?
이런 상상으로부터 이번 작업이 시작되었다.
표범에 흥미를 갖게 된 출발점은 나의 고양이들 때문이었으나, 자료를 찾을수록 그들은 신비스럽고 경이로운 완벽한 생명체로서 나를 매료시켰다. 뚜렷하고 강렬한 눈매와 아름다운 무늬, 우아하고 유연한 움직임, 날렵하면서 강력한 힘. 어떻게 이 모든 것들에 빠져들지 않을 수 있을까.
이 아름다운 생명체의 거친 숨소리와 야성이 가득 서려있는 눈빛, 균형잡힌 몸과 꿈틀거리는 생명력까지 모든 것을 작품에 담아내어, 우리 산하에서도 이 경이로운 생명체가 공존했었다는 사실을 알리고 싶었다. 또한 몇 백 만년의 시간을 통해 탄생한 종(種)이, 인간의 탐욕으로 한순간 멸종위기종으로 전락한 안타까움을 함께 말하고 싶었다.
더욱 슬픈 것은 이 비극적인 운명이 현재에도 진행중이라는 것이다.
인간의 취향이란, 다른 종들의 생명을 위협해도 상관없을 정도로 가치있는 것일까.
-작가노트 2016-