Layers: John Moores contemporary art painting prize show

Art in Britain is currently international. Dynamic fresh attention was called for: Chinese, Indian and Russian art. Artists experienced the richly diverse cultures and the audience became leisurely experts on contemporary art and enthusiastically tried to anticipate which new art will be the next hot topic. This may be a place for an attempt for anything: not only new, but also strictly traditional. People are encouraged to be interested in art in general and ready to have a look in relatively extensive way. British art in thick layers might be less anxious about the idea that only one or two powerful styles would survive and thrive. In fact, it could be more probable to survive and be successful when there is a situation of abundance of diversity in art: appreciation with a richer point of view. The internationalism in British art does not only stand for the artists and work, but also for the audience, approaching the work from various experiences.

This exhibition is the first Korean introduction of British painting and the John Moores painting prize, the compact history of British painting. The most representative twenty six artists are selected by periods and styles. It is hoped to contribute to the forming of another layer in Korean art and the audience’s experiences, whose experience of British art has perhaps been focused on the phenomenon of the YBAs. It is perhaps nice to dream for us to be a reference for audiences to anticipate what kind of art will be the next rising one in this busy international art world.

I-MYU’s curatorial projects are focused on cross-cultural exhibitions, embodying an understanding between West and East. Recent projects include 'British Contemporary Art' in Beijing, China (2009) and 'London Calling' in Seoul, Korea (2009). The Seongnam Arts Centre is a public space with opera house, theatre, concert hall and galleries. This large survey of British painting was drawn from the rich history of John Moore’s prize winners. It aimed to act as a survey of British painting over a 40 year period and promote cross-cultural dialogue about the state and direction of contemporary painting.

My work is concerned with developing a narrative driven painterly language to investigate Malcolm Andrews’ assessment that “a ‘landscape’, cultivated or wild, is already artifice before it has become the subject of a work of art. Even when we simply look we are already shaping and interpreting” (‘Landscape and Western Art’ 1999 p1).

• http://www.i-myu.com/project/showoutside...
• http://www.geraintevans.net/index.html