Jinkyun Ahu: On the surface of images

Decalcomie by Jinkyun Ahu

Displaying in his first major solo show at the Phoenix Brighton as part of the Photo Fringe festival Korean artist Jinkyun Ahu explores the relationship between him and his parents. In the series of photographs, named On the surface of images, Jinkyun Ahu repeats, reflects and dismembers his parents in an attempt to symbolise his family's relationship with death and the afterlife. The work also talks about how the legacy of the family is inherited from one generation to the next, as well as how qualities and traits of his parents have passed on to him. Similar to that of an image travelling from lens to negative, and negative to print. The familiar traces found in his parents help guide him in life.

Jinkyun work is vague and on the edge of surreal. The exhibition however is very strong and thought-provoking with new and interesting ways of displaying the work shown, placed on free standing chipboard walls and even projected into hole within the walls. The placement of mirrors seems important to the work, placed both within the work and in the gallery space, reflecting light around the space and your own reflection. 

Jinkyun exhibition was selected from over 100 submissions to the Brighton Photo Fringe OPEN 2012 by Clare Grafik, Susanna Brown and Oliver Chanarin.

Decalcomie - image taken by myself

 

Where is mom? - image taken by myself 

Sources:

www.jinkyunahn.com

www.phoenixarts.org/exhibitions.htm

www.photofringe.org/exhibitions/ja1/on-the-surface-of-images





Brighton Photo Fringe 2012

Photo Fringe is a lens-based festival that allows both new and established photographers a chance to display their work through out a mixture of different exhibitions from Brighton & Hove and along the coast to St Leonard’s and Hastings. The whole festival has over 100 exhibitions and is one of the most inclusive photography festivals open freely to the public. Not only are there free exhibitions but also many artist talks, workshops and screenings plus a chance to pick up lots of free stuff like artist postcards and photographic magazines. The festival runs from October 6 till November 18 2012 giving you lots of time to have chances to go back and view again.

I went to Brighton Photo Fringe, which has over 50 free exhibitions in that city alone and a large number of different photographic styles and approaches. Traveling there with my university Southampton Solent and I was surprised as to the amount I was to see in only a few hours, even though many of the exhibitions are very small, I had a great day of sightseeing and wandering along the beachfront. I plan to travel back with a few friends before the festival finishes to view the last of the artist works I missed and would advise anymore with a passion for photography or art, not to miss this chance of seeing so many artists displaying for free and all in one place.

In later posts I will be reviewing the exhibitions I saw separately and more in-depth, as well as sharing pictures taken on the day and of the galleries.