Saturday 30 April 2011

Seung Pyo Hong-The Monitor Lizard











21 May -18 June // Wed-Sat // 10 am – 6 pm

Private View 27 May // 6.30-8.30pm

In association with South London LAST Fridays

BEARSPACE presents a new series of works by artist Seung Pyo Hong. Hong employs a unique style of editioned metal plate acid etchings, hand coloured in oil paint, based on the functionality of humans, animals and machines. BEARSPACE first presented this artist’s work in 2010 soon after the artist’s graduation from Goldsmiths College. The exhibition at BEARSPACE ‘Mecha’ received rave reviews and Hong has been working on a new series of large steel plate etchings and print editions during 2010-2011.

Hong’s works depict fictional inventions in a very graphic style, through which he explores the relationship between human evolution and the development of technology. These bright works, directly etched and coloured onto steel plate, focus on the potential fusion of organic matter and machine. This is a futuristic sentiment, used as a motif in scifi throughout the 20th Century. Referencing this, Hong uses retro machinery and characters from the 60’s and 70’s highlighting aspirations from the time fused with scientific development of more recent years. In his odd but fascinating scenes, the viewer is almost left as a detective, working out what a piece of machinery is for, what the characters are playing out and where the scene is set. One is reminded of scenes from ‘Prisoner’ due to the works retro, colourful and mystical feel.


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