Seon Ghi Bahk. Existence, 2001.
“Bahk strings together delicate chunks of charcoal using nylon thread, arranging the intricate configurations into various abstract and figurative shapes. The monochromatic sculptures take the forms of everything from decomposing architectural columns to ethereal floating orbs. Tough yet ephemeral, the charcoal is reminiscent of birds in flight or an architectural explosion occurring in slow motion.
The shattered columns dwell in the space between the organic and the manmade, their imposing stature already fading into oblivion. The works embody the transience of human culture, implying that even the most ancient facets of human civilization are, in the grand scheme of nature, destined to disappear. Furthermore the charcoal that comprises the columns, made from a purely geological process, represents our eternal dependence on nature’s processes.”