“Ecriture No. 55-73” by Park Seo-Bo, 1973

As much as I love living in the small town of Salida, there comes a time during the year when I need an extra boost of inspiration and some big city excitement to get my imagination and creative juices flowing again. Visiting New York City to attend a six-day contemporary opera/theater event called “Prototype” was the perfect opportunity. In between attending performances in  theaters around the city, I was able to see a lot of artwork and wander the streets—which, to me, is a show in itself.

Two outstanding exhibits were featured at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. Titled “The Fullness of Color: 1960s Painting” and “Marking Time: Process in Minimal Abstraction,” both showed examples of nonrepresentational artwork, including some of my favorite artists—such as Helen Frankenthaler, Alma Thomas and Brice Marden—whose works always present new ideas for me.

It was exciting to be introduced to a Korean artist, Park Seo-Bo, who paints on hanji. At the age of 88, he still works in his Korean studio every day. He has a certain sensibility I admire and aspire to. His artwork featured in the Guggenheim collection, titled “Ecriture No. 55-73,” is shown in this post. The intensity and rhythmic way it was produced are evident while standing in front of the piece—it was mesmerizing! It drew my attention to his creative process and complete mode of engagement. He is quoted as saying how he empties himself “of any expressions on the canvas that would suggest my thoughts or feelings.”

To create the work, Park applied a thin layer of oil paint to the canvas and then, holding a pencil in his fist and maintaining as much pressure as possible, drew repeated, angular marks while the paint was wet. The painting’s combination of speed and continuity suggests he was completely absorbed in the task, free of any outside thoughts.

Coming back to my studio, I keep this newfound inspiration in mind as I get back to work and re-think my goals. With my introduction to Park Seo-Bo, I am reminded to quiet my mind to outer influences and let the hanji speak to me while directing the flow of my message in the artwork.