Trans-Art

Trans-Art (Trans-form art, Transcendental art, Trans-ego art) is a new form of art introduced by the Korean artist Sewon Shin.[1]

Sewon Shin (aka Se Won Shin/ Shin Sewon/ Shin Se-won) was a young innovative leader of a Korean religious foundation, who resigned from the spiritual leadership in order to introduce a new way of art called Trans-Art.[2]

His art served as a spiritual basis for the reformation of the Korean traditional religion known as Hanol-gyo.[3]

“Trans-Art is ‘Art’ that transcends the conventional form of art in order to express and experience the ‘formless essence of art’ which shares one and the same nature with our ‘true essence beyond form’."

In part 1, the artist attempts to express the ‘Enlightenment and Awakening’ which is beyond ‘Form’, by using the multi-dimensional expression method that he acquired from his own experience of the ‘enlightening and awakening’ process.”[4]

― An indirect experience of ‘Spiritual Transcendence’ : ‘Visualization of Enlightenment and Awakening’ into Art

—  Trans-Art official website , Introduction to Trans-Art

Sewon was well known in his youth as a prodigious painter,[5][6] until he discontinued his art and majored in Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Oxford University.[7] However, the unexpected and sudden passing of his father, who was a founder of the Hanol religion[8] (the religious re-establishment of the Korean national founding principle based on the philosophy of spiritual transcendence),[9] eventually led him to return to art expressing ‘Spiritual transcendence’ based on his own experience.[3]

The Artist

His father was the founder of the Hanol religion[10] - the re-establishment of the Korean traditional religion which foresaw the possibility of evolution in human consciousness from 'Ego-state' to 'Awakened-state', 5000 years ago.[9]

According to the Introduction to Trans-Art, "as the son of an unconventional religious leader, he had to experience unbearable religious upheaval as well as personal sacrifice of freedom from very early on in his childhood." Sewon became obsessive in painting, which was his only means to extricate himself from the mental suffering caused by his given reality of religious prejudice and discrimination. His compulsively acquired painting skill helped him to win a National art competition with a reward to study abroad (Georgetown Preparatory School, the United States).[11]

Sewon held two solo exhibitions in high school as a young talented artist.[12] He was well-known in his youth as a prodigious painter,[5] until his failure to perform a new concept of installation art (Super-Individualism Art)[13] discouraged him in such a way that he eventually gave up his art.[14] Instead of pursuing art, he majored in Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Oxford University (B.A. and M.A. in PPE).[7]

However, after the sudden passing of his father, he was forced to make painful personal sacrifices again. He had to take on insurmountable financial liability and the responsibility of restructuring his father's legacy, which eventually led him to return to art, expressing the sacred teachings on spiritual transcendence, not only based on his father's teachings, but from his own self-confirmation of the spiritual awakening experience.[3]

Art of enlightenment and awakening

Trans-Art can also be regarded as the (Non-religious) elaboration of the 'Art of Enlightenment and Awakening' which he introduced as a leader of the HANOL spiritual foundation.[4] His art became a driving force behind the structural evolution of the Hanol-religion. [15]

Dangun, the Founding Father of Korea,[16] initiated the 'Principles of Hanol Spirit' (the teachings on enlightenment and awakening) introducing the possibility of spiritual transcendence to its people - the evolution of human consciousness from the Ego-state to the Transcendental-state.[9]

After 5000 years, the Hanol principles were consolidated into a religious foundation by Shin Jeong Yil,[17][18] the founder of the Hanol religion.[19][20]

However, after the sudden passing of the founder in 1999,[21] the legal descendent Sewon Shin inevitably took on the responsibility of leadership in an emergency, immediately after graduating from Oxford.[3]

During his leadership, he expressed the essence of the transcendental philosophy of the 'Hanol Principle' in the 'Spiritual art of Enlightenment and Awakening' based on his own experience.[22]

He attempted to transform the existing belief system by integrating ‘Art and Spirituality’. Sewon introduced the concept of 'Spiritual Audience' instead of the traditional notion of religious followers.[14]

After he successfully reformed the HANOL foundation, Sewon resigned from the leadership in order to introduce Trans-Art.[9]

Trans-Art can be considered the re-establishment of the 'Art of Enlightenment and Awakening in a pure art form (Non-religious form), and the elaboration of "Super-Individualism art (i.e. Trans-ego art)” which he introduced at the Tokyo exhibition. This is based on the self-confirmation of the sacred teachings on ‘Spiritual Transcendence’ that he acquired.[4]

Trans-Art part 1: Multi-dimensional artworks

The artist shows the dynamic process of the transformation in the creation of art with multi-dimensional perspectives that he acquired from his spiritual experience. Sewon attempts to “express the ‘enlightenment and awakening’ which is beyond ‘Form’, by using the ‘multi-dimensional method of expression’ based on the transformational perspective that he acquired from his own experience of enlightenment and awakening.”[23]

“After the unexpected passing of his father, he experienced absolute despair. The inability to extricate himself from the inescapable quagmire of his religious destiny forced him to suffer a serious mental breakdown. It compelled him to reach the decision to commit suicide, which seemed to be inevitable and the only choice to him then.

However, at the critical moment of self-extinction, he experienced 'Gyun-Sung:[24] a glimpse of enlightening and the following determination of unconditional surrender to the suchness of Life’, which was the beginning of the irreversible process of the ‘gradual awakening in his consciousness’.”

— Trans-Art official website, A Brief history of the Trans-Artist[25]

In the 'Awakening series', he is expressing the process of ‘Ego dis-identification’ that he acquired from the suicidal experience which caused the separation of the ‘Ego-mind (artificial mental-algorithm of involuntarily constructed mind-structure)’ and ‘Consciousness (True-Nature)’, initiating the gradual awakening in his consciousness.[4]

From the enlightening experiences, he came to realize that art and spirituality share one and the same nature of showing the doorway into another dimension of consciousness where our true essence beyond ‘form’ is indwelling. He is expressing a glimpse of‘enlightenment and awakening’ which is ‘beyond form’ by using the ‘form of Trans-art’.[26]

According to the guidance to Trans-Art, Trans Art Part 1, the multi-dimensional expression of "Enlightenment and Awakening", can be regarded as an indirect experience of 'Spiritual Transcendence' and a 'Glimpse of Enlightenment' in the form of art – “the ‘Preview of the Ego dis-identification’ which entails the separation of Mind (Ego) & Consciousness (True Nature).”[27]

In his major work, the Trans-art part 1 ‘Opus Awakening series’, the Trans-artist shows the consecutive phases of the ‘Enlightenment and Awakening’ process which consists of: 'Awakening Dimensions', ‘Initiation of Awakening’, ‘Awakening True-Nature’, ‘Flash of Enlightening’, ‘Trans-Perceiving Ego’, ‘Dark-side of Ego’, ‘Trans-Quantum Physics of Mind’, ‘Trans-Perceiving Mental Synapse’, ‘Self-Liberation’, ‘Breaking Free’, ‘Quest for Immortality’, and ‘Trans-Perception’.[28]

Trans-Art can be considered as the re-establishment of the 'Art of Enlightenment and Awakening: the quintessence of Transcendental philosophy' in the form of fine art, and the elaboration of "Super-Individualism art[29] (i.e. Trans-ego art)” which he introduced at the Tokyo exhibition.[4]

Tasting-Art

After the artist realized that Taste, as well as Vision, can be an effective means to show us a way into another dimension of consciousness where our true nature is indwelling, he attempted to integrate Art with Taste in order to express a glimpse of awakening by providing an extraordinary tasting experience only once for each participant. The artist provides a 'once in a life time tasting exhibition' for an audience to experience the moment of speechless and mindless state of consciousness - a glimpse of your True Nature, the beauty itself.[30]

In Tasting Art ‘The Cho : Just Once’, he transforms ‘The Cho (a specially blended liquid substance based on a Korean authentic craft vinegar)’ into an art device to express a taste of Satori (the moment of speechless and mindless state of consciousness.) in the mind of audience.[31]

In his first tasting art exhibition, he introduced opus 1 ‘Tasting Blossom’, opus 2 ‘Korean Suicide Stopper’ and opus 3 ’Pyong Yang Naeng Myeon’.[32]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 신세원 (Shin Se-won) Chosun Ilbo people Search
  2. ↑ Artist official website, Trans-Art official website
  3. 1 2 3 4 The 50th Anniversary of Hanolgyo, Spreading the Hanol spirit based on humanitarian aims 『Power Korea』February 2015 issue, P. 71~77
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Introduction to Trans-Art 'Art of Transcendence'
  5. 1 2 미술화제 신세원. 17세의 귀재 신세원의 예술 Art Focus : The art of Sewon Shin, a 17 year-old genius 『Monthly Art World』, August 1990 issue p.88-91
  6. ↑ 17 year-old Genius artist’s Solo exhibition grabs attention, The Success of Sewon Shin’s Solo exhibition at Kyungin Art Gallery 『Kukmin Ilbo』, August 22, 1990
  7. 1 2 신세원(Shin Se-won) Naver people Search
  8. ↑ Shin Jeong Yil, the founder of Hanol-gyo Hanol-gyo official website
  9. 1 2 3 4 Hanol-gyo official website
  10. ↑ Shin Jeong-yil Encyclopedia of Korean Culture
  11. ↑ High School Student Shin Displaying 50 Paintings Korea Times, August 21, 1990
  12. ↑ Boy’s imaginative oil painting hit gallery row. Shin Se-won, attending high school in U.S. shows talent at Seoul exhibit Korea Herald, August 26, 1990
  13. ↑ 해외전시 신세원展 Overseas Exhibition - Se Won Shin Exhibit - Super Individual Art Monthly Atelier August, 1992 issue Volume 17 p.68~69
  14. 1 2 “History” Art of Enlightenment and Awakening official website
  15. ↑ Hanol Innovation Hanol-gyo official website
  16. ↑ Encyclopedia Britannica online Korea "Dangun"
  17. ↑ Shin Jeong-yil Doosan Encyclopedia
  18. ↑ Hanol-gyo Doosan Encyclopedia
  19. ↑ Encyclopedia Britannica online Korea - Hanol-gyo
  20. ↑ Hanol-gyo Encyclopedia of Korean Culture
  21. ↑ "Shin Jeong Yil, Founder of ‘Hanol-gyo’, Deceased" Yonhap News, April 6th, 1999.
  22. ↑ HAN Art & HANOL Architecture Hanol-gyo official website
  23. ↑ Introduction to Trans-Art, Trans-Art official website
  24. ↑ The Beginning of the Trans-Artist - Trans-Art official website
  25. ↑ Trans-Art official website, A Brief history of the Trans-Artist
  26. ↑ Trans-Art: past summary - Trans-Art official website
  27. ↑ Trans-Art part 1 - Trans-Art official website
  28. ↑ Trans-Art official website
  29. ↑ Super-Individualism Art Art of Enlightenment and Awakening website
  30. ↑ Introducing Tasting-Art tastingart.gallery
  31. ↑ Tasting-Art – ‘The Cho’ Just Once - tastingart.gallery
  32. ↑ ‘Do you know Tasting Art?’ Trans-artist exhibition begis 먹는 예술’ 아시나요? ‘트랜스 아티스트’ 전시회 개최 Dong-A Ilbo, 8 November 2016.

External links

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