Aura of Photography

Jae Woo Choi

Chano Park Stone overpowers space. There is a single stone in the middle of wide, blank sheet of paper and that so 

is on overwhelms space. Somehow, his works make us become silent and calm. When you look at the picture from a closer distance you ele thar there is more than a stonc. The stone is halfvay sunk in water and the water is just 

quietly holding up the stone, withou religio presence. The power of water is as strong as the one of the stone. For a 

long time, I've been looking at Chanoo Park's work in my phace ad every time 1 looked at it I wondered what the 

feeling of power from the work was. The photo made me solemn and it seemed as ift red trying to tell me something.

The artist takes pictures of stones. To put it more specifically, he takes pictures of stones halfway sunk in water. The 

stones are nor extraordinary but I sensed elegance in them. He travels all around Korea, visiting rivers and sea shores to find stones and bring them back to his studio. He puts the stones that shows their endurance of many 

years inside water which has gone through the passing of time as well. His shots are free of any technical tweaks or skills. The photos portray the purest images of the stones in water. The stones have withstood rainstorms that 

thrashed against them. Yet, they are silent. Surely they have gone through a number of hard times. Still, they remain 

confident. Confident and proud, but not haughty. They are alive.

"I dare to...

Portray eternity, trying to embody the depth of it.

I know it sounds a bit too grandiose, but I still wanted to put it that way.

I desired to show the things that have been in existence long before my presence, exactly as they stand. - the 

heavens, the sea, mountains, rivers, the wind...

When compared to wind and sky which are shapeless, or to mountains and the ocean that are immense, I found 

much more importance and greater weightiness in small pebbles that it perely ca my cupped hands.

The power of the stones is the result of endurance through the passing of time.

They have withstood the strong winds, snowstorms, and a series of waves that thrashed against them, making them 

helplessly clash against one anotner.

I sensed the implicit patience and fortitude of the stones." - artist note

The pover within Chanco Park & phoros came from the idea that the stones were alive. They were specially seleted by 

the artist and after the relationship was formed, they were given meanings and came to have their own stories to tell. 

The artist must have had a thought while looking at the stones Instead of telling us directly, the method of 

conversation he chose was to deliver the message through his works. By relating to the stories of our own, we the 

observers are able to hear his unspoken messages. We feel the same thing and understand the thoughts the artist had 

while traveling different places in search of the right stone. It is absolutely amazing when realizing how people who 

have never even met before in person are able to sympathize with each other and feel connected through art works.

Perhaps the artist intended to tell us the weightiness of time through his works. Maybe he wished for a life similar to 

that of the stones or water- a life where one does not expose and reveal everything. And finally he may be trying to 

tell us to live the same way. The reason why endurance through ages of time and a silent, solemn manner seem honorable is because we look up to that kind of life and respect it. I thought of the aura theory mentioned by Walter 

Benjamin in his writing < The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction› Benjamin viewed photography as a 

type of reproduction, a result of imitation, and stated that a reproduced work loses the unique authority, or the aura of the original. Even so, I felt the 'aura while looking at Chanoo Park's photos. The power of the stone and the 

energy of the white background definitely leaves resonance that makes people move. Perhaps we had been neglecting the importance of the intrinsic feeling, or the aura' only photography can produce. 

While portraying the object following the purpose of the artist, the photos bring about another meaning and a unique sense different from those of the original target. Chanoo Park's works connote the natural aura of the stones and at 

the same time deliver the artist's own message to the public. That is what makes his works even more special.

Arisa visalized output of an artist's messages. Chanoo Park's works seem to relate to us even when we don't reveal 

everything and tell us to he mure mature by staying calm and patient. The stone never speaks and water keeps calm as well but they approach us with an unspoken st Athough I am not aware of the past when they were already in 

presence long before I was born, I can somehow get a grasp of their engie stories even if they are not telling