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PAJANGJANGJANG

PAJANGJANGJANG is a duo composed of Sojin Park (School of Visual Arts), JaeHyeong Choi (School of Visual Arts), working based on three-dimensional objects and installations such as ceramics, glass and ironworks. Their aim is to reproduce and expand the motifs from nature. Based on the realization that inspiration or emotion from nature actually comes from certain patterns, principles, and movement of organic structures, they are concentrating on its fluidity and possibility of change.

The motif of the work expands or contracts from natural objects to sound or light waves. While searching for a way to better sense a wavelength, the group discovered that various technologies such as light, sound, video, interactive mapping and coding are suitable for expressing natural patterns or organic movements. They transfer the inspiration from nature to digital and project it back to the material world through a combination with analog objects. They experimented to create synergy by finding a connection point between non-physical digital technology and materially produced formative technology.

PAJANGJANGJANG

In the past, I used materials such as glass, clay, iron, wood, fabric, and paper to recreate nature in my own way. However, as lighting, motors, videos, and other technologies became incorporated into my work, I began to actively explore how these technologies could coexist with traditional sculptural practices. I embarked on projects like mapping videos created using coding onto ceramic works or creating interactive installations using Arduino and sensors. I wanted to use ultrasonic sensors to trigger lights and motors based on the distance from the user, allowing the motors to interact with the curvature of the glass.

The materials I had previously worked with were primarily glass or iron, which are commonly used in three-dimensional sculpture. However, I continued to sense the potential for integrating and merging these materials in the realm of media art and interactivity. Moreover, after taking media-related courses for about a year, including Arduino and Processing, I gained a grasp of what media art is and saw an opportunity to bring these concepts into my work. The Center for Art Convergence's Creation Support Program competition provided me with a chance to fully integrate these ideas into my work.

Work Process

"UNDERWATER GENERATOR" is a project that explores the small imperfections created in glass during the firing process, driven by curiosity about how glass undergoes changes while inside a kiln. When working with a kiln, unexpected flaws can emerge for various reasons. We live in the real world and handle materials, and it's these unexpected dents and imperfections that naturally occur that caught my interest. I believed that by magnifying these dents one by one, we could create intriguing visuals. In this experiment, we focused on one of the many factors we found interesting, which is imperfections. One of the most fascinating aspects of living in the real world is that perfect results, as in the realm of imagination, do not always materialize. For some reason, imperfect results occur due to the nature and unstable conditions of the real world, and I consider these unexpected flaws to be a form of beauty unique to the real world.

We used the play of light and shadow as light passed through material. The medium employed here is slumped glass. Through the process of slumping, various elements were trapped within the glass—bubbles, the heat from the kiln at that time, areas with waves and those that turned white, as well as traces left when the gold engraved in the mold couldn't withstand the heat and cracked. I believed that these elements encapsulated the moments of that time. Light is a presence highly sensitive to even minor interference. For example, light is affected by even the smallest imperfections in a light bulb's cap, resulting in a projected pattern. I wanted to pass this delicate light through the layers of interferences I created. I wished to maximize the world contained within the thin glass panel, which is saturated with these situations. Therefore, I conducted an experiment where small dents on the glass panel used light to project and magnify the imagery.

The reason for creating a wavy shape was that when the motor rotates 180 degrees, three layers can overlap. I set the number of layers to three because up to two layers, each layer can be clearly seen, but from the third layer onwards, it becomes challenging to distinguish between the layers. I also wanted the projected images to vary depending on the viewer's position and conditions. There were countless possibilities for the images to be projected depending on factors such as the motor's range of motion and the color of the light. I believed it wouldn't be fitting for me to arbitrarily choose one image, as it wouldn't align with the intention of imperfect conditions and randomness. While it's impossible to reproduce all possible scenarios, I hoped that everyone who viewed it would leave with their unique experiences. Here, the term "unique experiences" is implemented through an ultrasonic distance sensor. The distance detection sensor controls the lights' color and type based on the distance between the sensor and the viewer. As a result, the landscapes seen through the material will differ for each viewer.

PAJANGJANGJANG (Jaehyung Choi), UNDERWATER GENERATOR

Arduino, Glass, light 140 x 90 x 40 cm 2017

PAJANGJANGJANG (Jaehyung Choi), Your Tidal Flat Experience

tidal flat, glass, light, motor, 80 x 45 x 54 cm, 2017

"Your Tidal Flat Experience" is a work that involved slumping glass after observing tidal flats closely. When you closely examine tidal flats in nature, you'll notice variations in height, small holes created by microorganisms, and the meandering of seawater. The objective is to reproduce these variations in height, undulations, and water.The work is divided into three sections: the upper, middle, and lower parts. The upper part is divided into transparent and semi-transparent sections. The middle part represents the undulations of the tidal flat, while the lower part reproduces the tiny holes left by microorganisms in the tidal flat.There is also the layer of water, which is intended to be recreated using light. When light enters from the bottom, shadows initially form in the lower and middle sections before reaching the upper section. The upper section is further divided into transparent and semi-transparent portions. Motion will be added to this layer of water. There are two motors at the bottom, one for rotational movement and one for linear motion. Lights are attached to the ends of these motors. Placing the motor for linear motion on the rotating plate is expected to create a random movement pattern.In summary, when you observe the work, you'll see that light originating from the bottom passes through the lower and middle sections before reaching the upper section with two different surfaces. Since this light is in motion, it creates the effect of shadows moving, resembling the flow of water.

"SEA SHAKER" is a work in which overlapping mesh layers create patterns as they move, either overlapping or clearing spaces for each other.The initial plan was to map the flow of nature onto ceramics, but over time, the desire to intentionally create a form diminished, leading to the concept of this work. The objective became to showcase the organic movement of natural patterns and structures in the most minimal form possible. To achieve this, the interference phenomenon of light was employed to create moving mesh layers and the frames that hold them.Low-speed motors were used to minimize the speed at which the wires of the mesh intersect and separate from each other. Limit switches were employed to allow the mesh layers to move up and down. Instead of using lighting to enhance the effect, an ocean video was mapped onto the space behind the mesh layers. This allows viewers to look through the empty spaces between the mesh layers and witness the interaction between the device's flow and the flow of the ocean.You can also experience sound that utilizes the same phenomenon. Similar frequencies of sounds reinforce or cancel each other out, creating a different flow from the original flow.

PAJANGJANGJANG (Sojin Park), SEA SHAKER

metal, mesh, motor, sound, video project(some flow of the sea), 110 x 210 x 30 cm, 2017

PAJANGJANGJANG (Sojin Park), WAVE SEEKER

acrylic, motor, steel, 45 x 45 x 30 cm, 2017

"WAVE SEEKER" is a work in which lines of light attached to acrylic create new patterns through their interaction. In contrast to the flow created by the grid of mesh layers in "SEA SHAKER," this work utilizes transparent materials with curved lines drawn to overlap and create interactions with light.Contrary to the expectation that more complex patterns would lead to unexpected flows, the actual experimental results revealed that simplicity led to the emergence of different flows. Overlapping seemingly irregular patterns only resulted in more complex patterns.The project eventually returned to simplicity by creating a circular device where lines overlapped and rotated. This work involved numerous challenges, including the need to correct errors during the process of drawing the patterns and laser cutting. The spacing between the lines played a crucial role, and the project provided insights into how the human eye and brain perceive patterns. In the final piece, the perception of the work can vary significantly based on the angle of lighting and the position of the lines at any given moment. Viewing the shadows created by the work can sometimes reveal the newly generated flow more effectively than observing the physical piece itself. Given the intricacies involved, even small adjustments can lead to significant changes in the work.

Epilogue

Through this creation support program, I unintentionally moved away from envisioning forms of nature in my work. Instead, I was able to focus more on the structure, movement, and surface details of nature. It was an opportunity to explore new directions and find our own way of investigating nature. My work with "PAJANGJANGJANG" brought me even closer to nature.

For now, I will take a break. I have been channeling the inspiration I find in nature through my work, and it's time to step back a bit from nature. It's been almost a year since we returned from Thailand, where we went together. While I don't necessarily have to go anywhere specific, it might be a good idea to take a break from the routines, whether physically or mentally.

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