The phrase “Art transcends the passage of time” seems tailor-made for photographer Hwang Gyutae. In his solo exhibition Pixel at Toma Gallery, the fact that he is 87 years old becomes irrelevant. The works on view are the product of an encounter between digital pixels and analog photography.
On the screen, images unfold in dazzling colors and geometric patterns, where a distinctly contemporary aesthetic emerges. By pushing beyond the physical limits of photography as a flat medium, the works acquire new visual depth and spatiality, dissolving the boundary between photography and art.
He is often described as “a pioneer of avant-garde photography in Korea.” This is not only a fitting epithet but also a concept that encapsulates his artistic world. For Hwang, photography began amid the political and cultural upheavals of 1960s Korea and continued through bold experiments with black-and-white photography, color, montage, collage, and even burning film. His journey stands as an unceasing exploration of the essence of photography and its technological possibilities.
