세상일은 돌고 도는 것이라는 말을 실감하고 있는 요즈음이다. 1970년대부터 2000년 이전까지만 해도 구상회화, 즉 전통적인 표현양식으로서의 유화는 끝난 것 아닌가 싶었다. 실제로 유화작업을 하는 작가들조차 ‘유화의 죽음’이라는 절망적인 예측으로부터 스스로를 옹호할 수 있는 그 어떤 근거나 대안이 없었다. 그저 ‘정말 종점에 이른 것이 아닌가’ 하는 자포자기적인 심사였다. 그 동안 유화는 작고작가와 원로들의 높은 작품가격을 통해 그나마 위안을 받는 정도였다. 그러다가 새로움만을 추구해온 현대회화가 지속적인 이념의 생산기지로서의 역할을 더 이상 수행할 수 없는 시간이 길어지면서 유화는 새로운 희망을 보게 되었다. 

전통적인 표현양식을 따르는 유화가 한국화단에서 절망적인 상황까지 직면했던 것은 창작의 윤리성을 간과한 탓이다. 다시 말해 새로운 조형적인 이념이나 조형어법 그리고 기법을 강구하지 않고 전통적인 가치의 재생산에 안주함으로써 스스로 족쇄를 채운 것이다. 이러한 문제는 현대미술 일변도로 치닫는 시대조류 및 한국화단의 흐름과도 무관하지 않았다. 새로움에 열광하는 감각적인 젊은 화가 지망생들이 현대미술을 선호함으로써 재능 있는 작가들의 출현을 기대하기 어려운 처지였다. 이래저래 유화의 입지는 좁아질 수밖에 없는 상황이었다. 그러나 세상일은 돌고 도는 것, 현대회화가 걸음을 멈추고 있는 사이에 전통적인 가치에 대한 새로운 관심과 함께 유화인구가 점차 증가하는 추세로 돌아서고 있다. 그리고 특기할 일은 러시아 유학파들을 중심으로 하는 아카데미 출신들이 늘어나면서 공백으로 있던 정통사실주의의 기반이 마련되고 있다는 점이다. 이제야말로 진정한 의미에서 사실주의 회화가 견고한 자리를 틀 수 있는 기회를 맞이하고 있다는 생각이다. 

따지고 보면 한국 사실주의 및 자연주의는 해부학이 존재하지 않는 뼈대 없는 그림이었고 해도 지나치지 않다. 그러기에 인물화의 경우 정확한 눈과 타고난 재능에 의탁하는 정도의, 인체의 겉만 묘사하는 수준에서 벗어나지 않았다. 소재 및 대상은 물론이요, 표현양식 및 형식이 극히 제한적인 것도 인물화의 기초가 허약한 탓이다. 인체해부학에 기초한 구성력이 빈곤함으로써 회화적인 상상의 자유를 억압하는 결과를 가져온 것이다. 이는 결과적으로 한국 구상회화가 자연주의 및 사실주의 또는 인상주의 범주에서 크게 벗어나지 못한 요인으로 작용했다. 따라서 최근에는 인물화 단체를 중심으로 러시아 아카데미학파들이 가세하면서 구상회화의 폭이 넓어지고 구상화단의 전체적인 분위기도 활성화되고 있다. 

그런가 하면 전통적인 사실주의와는 다른 보다 현대적인 미적 감수성을 작품에 반영하는 젊은 세대들의 출현은 사뭇 고무적이다. 사실주의 명암기법 및 원근법에서 비교적 자유로운 입장을 취하는 새로운 형태의 극사실적인 화풍이 등장하고 있는 것이다. 새로운 화풍은 사실주의와 하이퍼리얼리즘의 중간형태라고 할 수도 있다. 소재 및 대상도 정물이나 초상화 형식에 국한하지 않는 다양하고 폭넓은 시야를 보여준다. 당연한 일이지만 복잡다단한 현대인의 심사를 반영하듯 기존의 조형적인 법칙에서 자유롭다. 특히 전체보다는 부분에 시선을 고정시키면서 차가운 이미지를 그려내는 것이다. 그렇다고 해서 부분의 확대라고 단정하기도 어렵다. 사실주의 화법보다 한층 정교하면서도 밀도가 떨어지지 않는다. 물론 사진과 비교하는 것도 의미가 없다. 작가에 따라서는 오히려 사진보다도 더욱 치밀하고 선명할 정도의 극렬한 묘사를 보여준다. 

이와 같은 형태의 구상회화는 어쩌면 전자기계문명으로 상징되는 현대사회의 문화적인 속성과 일치하는지도 모른다. 극명한 해상력을 추구하는 전자디스플레이의 영향 때문인지 마치 속을 꿰뚫는 듯한 투명도로 시선을 압도한다. 세계 디스플레이산업을 주도하는 한국 IT산업의 한 영향이라면 성급한 판단일까. 아직은 그 변화의 바람이 무엇이라고 구체적으로 말하기는 어렵지만 전통적인 유화에도 변화의 바람이 불고 있는 것만은 분명하다. 

the New movement in figurative painting

While contemporary painting is at a standstill, the number of figurative oil painters are on the rise and they have a fresh look at their traditional values. Especially artists returning from foreign art academies including Russian ones fill up the place of an authentic realism. Consequently the range of figurative painting has been expanded in a livelier atmosphere by members of figure-painting groups and Korean artists from Russian academies.

We also witness the rise of a hyper-realistic style beyond the traditional technique of chiaroscuro and perspective. Not confined within still life and portrait, artists find various blown-up images in detail without losing density and fineness.

This kind of figurative painting might reflect the electronic culture prevailing in our contemporary society. Presumably the high definition displayer affects the clearest vision of these figurative painters. Is it going too far if we say that the new figurative painting owes IT and electronic industry its new development?

- Shin, Hang-Sup

- 신항섭(1952- ) 1982년 현대미술 12인의 작품론집 ‘현대미술의 위상’으로 평론활동 시작.