Unit 0ne
context

Main artists of interest

Katie Spragg

Katie Spragg creates an "environment" by creating an intimate plant-themed work. Behind each piece is a story, or collection of stories, that is essential to her creative process. Her work celebrates the vitality of wild plants with concrete and porcelain cray. Also, explores our relationship with nature; specifically, the ways that humans and plants co-exist.

Her blooming (2016) work was inspired by flowers blooming between cement on her way to the studio. I like her observations of nature and her collection of stories.

Mark Quinn

Mark Quinn preserved the blooming flowers (2000) with silicon in the Frozen Flower Project. He attempted to perpetuate the perfect form of flowers accumulated. Quinn's aimed for the exact expression of reality's perfection and natural beauty.

I don't like his artificial materials and technical methods, but I developed the idea with the contrast concept. I focused on the expression of natural forms that were incompatible with the imperfections of reality.

Michael Landy

Michael Landy and his series of paintings, Nonurgent (2003), collected weeds growing on the streets of London, kept them alive, and painted them life-size. He elevated the status of humble weeds, which he named the underdog in the plant world.

I was fascinated by his creative idea. I highlighted the beauty of the leaves torn, trampled and dying, just as he elevated the status of humble weeds.

Ellsworth Kelly

Ellsworth Kelly has always been drawn to nature, he draw simple plant and seaweed forms. In his drawing of fruits, flowers and leaves, Kelly’s concern is with the essence of each plant. Kelly has the art of creating monumental visual statements using shapes, colours, spaces, and lines.

admiring Kelly's acute spatial sensibility,

I referenced to his minimalise concept, essential lines and spatial sensitivity.

Selected exhibitions

1) Korean Museum of Art, Seoul, 3rd September 2022

In the exhibition hall, various exhibits ranging from traditional Korean art to Contempory art were displayed. I mainly appreciated calligraphy works. All traditional works were used with hwaseonji and muk. The presentational method was consistent. Contempory works were used in combination of various materials. For example, Western paper and materials from the East and West, such as ink, Korean paper and acrylic were mixed. Most of the works were considered too technical. In addition, in the printmaking section, the technique was formalised, so the diversity could not be found compared to Western printmaking. I evaluate this exhibition from the perspective of Western & Contemporary artists. This is because techniques are important in traditional art, but concepts are more important in contemporary art. The experience of this exhibition led me to break the traditional aspect of Korean art and develop it into a contemporary concept.

2) The National Museum of Korea, 7th September 2022

The National Museum of Korea is a collection of ancient Korean art and relics. I looked around the works of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1912) on this day. It was interesting to see the social image reflected in paintings through the history and background of the Joseon Dynasty. I enjoyed realistic content based on cultural heritage at the digital video studio in the museum. Through the digital screening of Gangsanmujido, a masterpiece of Korean painting, I was able to see the beautiful landscape, people's appearance, and the ideal world pursued by people in the late Joseon Dynasty. The super-large video on the screen had a sense of immersion that had never been felt before and made me feel more familiar with Korean cultural traditions. I was able to learn about the media and methods of communicating traditional art in a contemporary way and communicating with the audience in an era where images become language. And it was a time to think and learn about the position of digital in contemporary art as digital screening aimed to pursue the role of yesterday and today as a bridge.

3) 4482 Ten: Hope. gallery@oxo, London, 22nd October 2022

4482 is an organisation founded by a group of Korean artists in London. The project, “[TEN] HOPE”, is an interactive exhibition to show eight artists’ + two participatory art's intercultural views of 'hope' from diverse backgrounds in three different themes: cultural integration, world issues, and new art. Most artists dealt with global environmental issues with the keyword, 'hope'. I noticed the works of British-Korean artist Kim. Because she was in the same cultural position as me. On Artist Talk, she shared her desire to go to her hometown during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was covered under the theme of nostalgia. The media she used is Korean paper and traditional ink, muk. Through her conversation, I learned that Korean tradition materials can be metaphor to the roots of British-Korean artist.

4) Michel Landy, Tomas dan gallery, London 15th November 2022 (Online)

5) Contemporary Art Matters, 30th November 2022, https://contemporaryartmatters.com/nature-inspired/#iLightbox[gallery_image_2]/3 (Online)

The exhibition is a group, presenting works by six nature-inspired artists. One of them, Pamela Fraser was introduced to the gallery with a new group of plant paintings and ceramics. Fraser's work explored colour and design. I could see approach to her work that combined her observation with her intelligence. I have learnt how to release about the natural world clearly organized and interpreted by the artist.

6) Picasso museum, Barcelona 5th January 2023

The places I visited for the winter break was the Gaudi Cathedral and the Picasso Museum in Barcelona. Because I wanted to find inspiration for my work while moving on to Unit 2. I was attracted to the intensity of the blue stain glass in Gaudi's Cathedral. It was interesting to see the development process of his work through the life of Picasso in the Picasso museum. In particular, the detailed development process of abstract expression and series connection could be seen in the works of "Las Meninas" (1957). I could get a glimpse of how to express the inner world of colour in Picasso's work, "Blue period" (1901-1904). I plan to research about the colour theme, because I have got the idea from his subject matter, his expression of his feelings about the message of human life and death in colour.