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The subject of Spielraum, which artist Choi Seo-won has been studying for for a long time, refers to a space of leisure where one can relax and undisturbed by others. It is a word that combines the German words ‘Spiel(play)’ and ‘raum(space)’. This term, which does not exist in Korean, refers to a space where one can take the center stage, take physical and psychological rest, and find one’s true self. The Spielraum that the artist creates on canvas is composed of clear and vivid colors based on the walls and furniture drawn in a straight line. The method of expression that breaks away from traditional perspective and chiaroscuro transforms everyday spaces into mysterious spaces. Although no people appear on the screen, the types and positions of the objects that make up the screen remind the protagonist of the space. Art critic Kim Sang-cheol explains the space presented by the artist, saying, “The space of absolute silence where no human presence is revealed allows the viewer to dwell within it,” and “As the proposition of the work suggests, it is a ‘Spielaum,’ a refuge for modern people built by the artist.”

 

The traditional ancient furniture and symbolic patterns in the painting are also interesting. Art critic Ju Su-won explains, “The fact that furniture at the same depth is expressed with free perspectives from different viewpoints inherits the complex perspective seen in traditional folk paintings.” In addition, the symbolic patterns that appear are traditional auspicious patterns of Korea that have meanings of longevity, wealth, prosperity, and fertility. In this way, as critic Kim Sang-cheol says, the artist’s work “the Western form is borrowed from the use of materials and the composition of the screen, but filling the screen with oriental content,” while introducing Korean sentiments by interpreting them in the language of modern people in modern time and space.