Cais Gallery Until Aug 6

What is an Imaquark? To Korean contemporary painter Ahn Doo-Jin, they are imagined units of measurement used to describe the elemental construction and composition of his work. Right so.

Ahn’s canvases are overflowing with ideas and ideals, backed up by a manifesto more fantastical then the world he has created on canvas. One hot and humid day captures a mythological world where thousands of gladiatorial figures clash in battle, while Catch your eyes imagines a moment of dark, vacuous quiet as a universe prepares to be destroyed – or created. Overall, there’s really a lot going on.

The artist draws heavily from the High Renaissance in subject, and the Impressionists in manner. It is in bold, luminous colour, however, that he finds his individual voice, illustrating outrage at the futility of war through a choice of vibrant pallet. His work is filled with an unsettling sense of drama and urgency: a great wave prepares to break into the gallery; a heavenly tornado threatens to suck the viewer into the depths. Unfortunately, so much is being expressed simultaneously that it’s hard to distinguish his true message.

Ahn must be credited for his stunning creative vision, but by immersing his work in complicated theoretical discourse he substantially diminishes his aesthetic. Instead of feeling empowered by the possibilities of Ahn’s alternative world, the viewer leaves asking... what is an Imaquark again?

Mary Agnew