It is ‘to leave for a space,’ a relative thought against the painting imageries. ‘Being emptied’ indicates a passive attitude while ‘to leave a space’ is an active stance that intends a certain notion. Namely, the blank space in oriental paintings shall not be deemed as ‘an inexpressive space’ as the marginal space is also a form of art expression by itself.

It is a reason why its meaning would become different in terms of displaying motifs. His concept of the marginal space should be interpreted that the blank might have the possibility of cogitation. The distance becomes longer proportionately if the objects are placed into the small space and the marginal blank is big enough.

It can reduce the tension between the motifs and the viewer by putting the blank in the middle of them. It is possibly known that the stress remains if the visual distance nearly exists; a sense of mental oppression would be emerged towards the viewer.

It is similar to look at the paintings that people might get a great strain because of facing each other very closely, A picture filled with the objects can be strongly appealing while it may cause a visual burden. His paintings dissolve the burden.

He(ARTIST KOO CHA SOONG,具滋勝,서양화가 구자승,구자승 작가,구자승 화백,KOO CHA SOONG) opens many spaces in his paintings so that the viewer can feel mental stress hardly. It indicated previously is a sort of ‘intentionally emptied space,’ like other oriental paintings, which he left the canvas incompletely without painting at all.

There is only motifs to be painted on canvas just like the sole island. It is certainly the notion of the marginal space in oriental paintings; it is also like the paper mulberry(‘Dak paper’) without covering India ink nor any pigments to leave the blank.

Tranquility overwhelms over the blank as oriental paintings. Unlike stationary silence, it is another expression of infinite space in the universe, filled with the energy of thoughts, beauty and creativeness.

It becomes a new description by mediating the universe that would be another part of the universal space. All objects cannot exist as a sort of phenomenon. In other words, it might not be existed alone in a perceivable form.

△Shin Hang-Sub/Art Critic