Namjeong Choi Jeong Gyun (1924~2001) was born in the gloomy era when the country's sovereignty was deprived by Japan. As a calligrapher, educator and religious person, he was a typical artist who contributed to the revival and development in the tradi...
Namjeong Choi Jeong Gyun (1924~2001) was born in the gloomy era when the country's sovereignty was deprived by Japan. As a calligrapher, educator and religious person, he was a typical artist who contributed to the revival and development in the traditional literati painting which almost came to an end during the late Chosun ear.
Literati painting refers to a noble-minded painting with relish and wisdom of the gentlemen's spirit on the basis of verses and writings. As every other arts which have changed itself throughout rise and fall in environments, cultures, politics, ideologies of the times, so does the literati painting.
Though the aspect of the literati painting seemingly changed a lot under the influence of the Western painting in the modern times, it is still considered to be the true literati painting whose essence is expressed with the gentlemen's spirit and the gentlemen-like thought and feelings. In the middle of such changes in the ages, Namjeong left his distinctive footprint in the development of the modern literati painting.
It was a turning point from the modern times to the contemporary times when Namjeong did his creative activities, which was in the part of the late 20th century when the high level of scientific technologies rapidly changed day after day. Amid these circumstances, Namjeong broadened the new horizon of vigorous world of creation by studying the literati painting through his incessant experimental spirit, as well as played his great part in its spread.
Namjeong's arts began with calligraphy. As exhibiting his work in the National Art Exhibition in the 60's, he became a disciple of Sojeon Son Jae Hyeong, the master in the late Chosun era, renewing his attitude and perspective as an artist. In the end, his 20 years' strenuous long-standing efforts made for his writing resulted in the enormous influence on the achievement in his specialized field of the literati painting.
The world of Namjeong's literati painting shown in the 1980's was worthy enough to be provided as the refreshment in this world and the comfort for the people in the mundane world. As is seen in his artistic viewpoint, it has come out that his accomplishment of the style of deviation made in the end by his remaining consistent with the spirit of "Keeping the old as creating the new" resulted from such new awareness of "Writing and painting share the same root" would have never been made without his gifted talent and endless research spirit, even though various complex factors which have had effects on the achievement are set aside.
It dose not go too far to say that Namjeong's literati painting is the crystal of the "Alignment of writings with paintings" and the representation of "Copying forms, imitating contents", so that his work fully represents the true aspects of elegance, modesty, patience, seclusion of gentlemen contained in the work. Of course, it would be better if he would have left the theories for his own verses or works of the literati painting. It is also true that there appears the copied or imitated aspects of the past masterpieces in his work. However, such achievement of his was a flag of initiatives and progress thrown into the era when even the words of the literati painting was strange to the people and the trigger for the current boom of the literati painting, so that his contribution can be regarded greatly.
In addition, it is the epochal monument of achievement in the calligraphy circle to establish the academic structure ranged from calligraphy to literati painting thanks to his haulage successfully played in setting-up the department of calligraphy at his alma mater of Wonkwang University for the first time in the world, which will be another contribution of his to be left perpetually in the history.
Especially, his steady life credo of "Making oneself to be one's own principle" Namjeong showed as an artist and religious person in his way of life of "One's writing is one's own self" displays the image of a typical mentor, the absolute value of the calligraphy circle that seems to have fallen of late, which can be considered as another results to come out in this study, too.