Temporal Being: Human vs Nature

This exhibition” Temporal Being; Nature vs Human” will include three groups of works I work with all through my artistic career. I like translate this theme in Korean; “잠시 머물다 가는 삶; 대자연과 인간” The exhibition covers pieces focused on Nature, Studio Sketches, and Figurative Exercises. My first group of works are focused on Nature. Whether on a short walk or an adventure into the unknown, observing nature up close reveals its delicate structure, amazing colors, stunning, and unique details. Since, I am not a realistic artist. I need to see, digest, extract the essence and minimize, or exaggerate nature. Then my creation takes shape in my head, on the sketch pad or as writings. Physical creation takes afterward and creating in clay requires technical knowledge and preparation before I start making a piece. This collection highlights a variety of stunning natural features: erupting volcanoes, streams of lava, fractured ice formations, ice canyons, tree bark textures, honeycombs, salt flats, cactus structures, lunar landscapes, sunset glows, melting snow cones, and vibrant bird plumage. Installation piece called “365 for One” was inspired by my visit to Alaska”. This series continues my theme of nature dwarfing the human scale. The creation of art is but temporal and humble compared with the eternal enormity of nature like Alaskan glaciers, the California desert. My initial impressions of the landscape itself are not as strong a reference, as my visit many years ago, but more of a backdrop. “365 for One” is the irony of some of my earlier installation that takes long and boring hours of making same and similar units. Sometimes it gets quite boring like stuffing envelopes for 365 days to achieve one idea of installation. I try to create harmony between contrasting elements: nature versus human, mortal versus immortal, object versus primal element. My second group of pieces, “Studio sketches” are humorous, satirical , quick sketches I make in-between long sometimes patience requiring installation works. Tools I use in the studio were crudely made with funky lichen glazes. My third group of work is figurative exercises. This originates from my experience instructing sculpture and three-dimensional art courses. I was excited to have live models in the class. I did gestural figures and mold making. This series comes with variety of media like glass slumping and glass casting, paper casting. clay casting and bronze casting etc. This experience in different media expanded my art making vocabulary. Since arriving in America from Korea, I struggled with Western art philosophy of ego as the center of the universe and the Asian philosophy of the human self as a speck in the greater universe. I finally find peace with both and like to draw ideas from whatever I am interested in now.