Umber Blue 1991

Yun Hyong-keun made this painting, Umber Blue, with oil on canvas and a very deliberate sense of process. It's not about a single gesture, but about layers, time, and letting the material do its thing. The paint here isn't trying to hide; it's thin, soaked right into the fabric, creating these hazy, blurry edges. Look at how the darker umber bleeds out into the canvas, staining it like diluted ink. You can almost feel the artist waiting, watching the colors spread and settle. It's like a slow, meditative dance between control and chance. This reminds me a bit of Helen Frankenthaler. She let the paint soak into the canvas, but Yun seems to be after something else here. The surface becomes part of the painting itself. It’s like he’s not just painting *on* the canvas, but *with* it. And that's what makes it interesting – the way he embraces the unpredictable nature of his materials. For Yun, it's about accepting the passage of time, the imperfections, and the beauty of letting things unfold.