A man roaming about the landscape poses questions on the conditions of man and civilization, seeking his own identity. The anti-landscape, embracing an outgrowth of civilization, paradoxically symbolizes the irony of realities in which people are away from harmony and equilibrium.
These paintings make a comment on positive and negative aspects of civilization, rejection and acceptance of a tradition, and a will for improving reality.
Human civilizations eventually come to an end due to their excessive, irreversible destruction of human nature. Nomadic animals are driven out of nature by the arrogance of civilization, rampant materialism and massive destruction of ecology.
Hur jin notes the destructive force of civilization that threatens the fundamental conditions of human existence. The animal images rendered audaciously by pointillism become fragmentary through the overlap of buoyant and anonymous men, reinforcing a non-circulating reality with intense colors.
In the “Nomadic Animal, Man–Civilization”series, some stuffs utilized in a civilized society like bottle opener, thumbtack, cellular phone, key, hammer, electric wire and others remain more salient.
By applying the image of the massive elephant to the buoyant, languid human figures, Hur(ARTIST HUR JIN,許塡,허진 작가,한국화가 허진,HUR JIN,허진 교수,허진 화백,A Painter HUR JIN)accuses of the evils of civilization and weakness of mankind.
△By Ryu Cheol-ha, Chief Curator of Woljeon Art Museum/류철하(월전미술관 학예연구실장)