Old Art Techniques with a New Difference: Harry Ahn

by Koot van Wyk, Kyungpook National University, Sangju Campus

conjoint lecturer Avondale College, Australia

20 April 2009

 

This review of Harry Ahn as artist was made in 1994. Harry Ahn is very well known to this reviewer. He took the pictures of my wife's Phd defense at Andrews University capturing the moments of surprise and wonder by the committee. He lives in Berrien Springs, Michigan, USA and sometimes come over to Sahmyook University in Seoul to teach his techniques to students over there for Summer-schools. He is a deep Christian and well-acquainted with Christian motifs. Some of his large paintings are hanging at public buildings in the USA.

 

Few things better illustrate how easily one can misunderstand the work of a realist, than that of Harry Ahn. The long-held belief that realism is unnecessary in an age of photography and the video-camera, is proven false by the work of this artist.

Harry Ahn followed the same idiom as the classical masters, Rembrandt and others, with an intense awareness of humanity. Refusing to be swept back and forth by the current tides of art styles, Harry kept to his own complicated style. His is a style that enjoys the liberty of space, and yet, choose to confine himself to one moment in time. Contrastingly, that moment is eternal, because it is an aspect of humanity that is portrayed, that can be found probably many centuries before, but very likely also in the future ones. In his art he is able to focus on the ugly of the beauty and the beauty of the rejected.

Harry Ahn does not like to comment on his own art, but he is willing to talk about himself as an artist. "The art piece should be able to talk for itself" he said. And it does, as the numerous prestigious awards clearly indicate.

Art viewers will enjoy his large paintings and rich colors painted with fine oriental delicacy. The viewer is sometimes surprised by the creatively unexpected that dominates the center of the work.

This KoreanAmerican artist enjoys humanity like someone who has fully seen the corners of his own. He is strongly argumentative for his own point of view, but he is equal attentively open to accommodate or adapt that view in the light of a response to the contrary.

To experience Harry Ahn through his art is highly recommended.

 

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