Hwang Seontae

Friedrichs Pontone is delighted to present Living Light, an exhibition by Korean artist Hwang Seontae. Seontae presents his work in the form of the light box, depicting beautifully delineated, contemporary interiors. The box has a self-contained light source that articulates the imagined scene.

Through Living Light we see sunlight entering through windows, casting pools and patterns of illumination across silent spaces. In this mostly monochromatic world, there are hints of subtle color in the exterior glimpses of landscape and foliage. The sun's rays energize and bring life to the scene. Rooms are deserted but not abandoned; they are furnished and maintained. There is a sense of recent departure and/or imminent return.

This world is unpopulated. There is a sense of absence, or perhaps, imminent presence. These homes are not neglected or in decay, they betray no evidence of abandonment or disaster, but are nevertheless, ambiguous. They are prepared for occupation, for relaxation. All is ready: chairs, tables, and lamps are arranged, pictures are hung, and fruit and flowers are set in bowls and vases. They are perfectly staged backdrops for human activity. Where are the actors?

Through Living Light, we are invited to concoct a story. What settings are these? Is it a dystopian dream world of inexplicable disappearance or, more prosaically, a homecoming, reunion, or familial confrontation? Drama springs out of what first appears anodyne and non-committal, a formal exercise in symmetry and harmonic arrangement. We can interpret these works as saying that sometimes, contrary to appearances, this is a far from frictionless existence. Our costly refuges, beautiful and soothing as they may be, are fragile holding pens for all the messy turmoil of our lives. In Seontae’s work, this idea is illuminated and redeemed by the life force of the sun.