By Hyosoon Jung(Vice President of Korean Artist Association of WA)
Paradox of Place is the first major exhibition of Korean contemporary art at Seattle’s Asian Art Museum.
The theme in all the works reflects paradoxes in time, space and place. Paradox in this case means the search for truth in the impossible or contradiction.
Artist Sookyoung Yee’s installation titled Thousand uses epoxy and 24k gold leaf to transform broken porcelain fragments into a new artistic existence.
Traditional Korean pottery and shards are carefully decorated and purposefully arranged stirring the viewer’s intrigue. Perhaps the paradox is that the broken and discarded carries the potential to be re-born into something beautiful and meaningful.
Yang Haegue’s Female Natives is a series of anthropomorphic sculptures composed of electric cords, light bulbs on metal stands decorated with artificial plants, flowers, wigs and handcrafted materials. Each work has a unique identity, sensuality and personality transcending boundaries and pre-conceptions.
The strAnge ball by Noh Suntag is a series of photographs of the U.S. military Radome (radar+dome) on the North, South Korean border. The dome is photographed from a number of elevations, locations and time of day. It is an ominous looming presence in a quiet rural countryside.
Jung Yeondo’s Bewitched series juxtaposes photographs of one individual in two contrasting scenarios. It visually confirms that a change in context or scene can completely change how a person’s life narrative is interpreted by the viewer.
Lee Youngbaek’s work Angel-Soldier is a video contrasting the social conditions of his youth. A handsome soldier guides you through an amazingly colorful flower garden. It is a visually striking masterpiece.
Overall the exhibit highlights the extraordinary creative talents of contemporary Korean artists and their thought-provoking, serious yet playful modern art. It is recommended for all art explorers of all ages.
The Seattle Asian Art Museum is located in Volunteer Park in Capitol Hill. Paradox of Place exhibit continues through March 13, 2016. Ticket prices range from $5.00 to $9.00 and children under 12 are free. Admission to the Seattle Art Museum and the Asian Art Museum is free for everyone on the first Thursday of each month.
