I joined in the online interview/ in conversation between kelly chorpening and artist joonhong min, and it was really quite interesting hearing about the way he works and I'm glad kelly and Ian was there who asked some really good questions - some from the other students as well.
I asked in the chat the dilemma that dan asked me about in our tutorial last week - about if he also has this dilemma in presenting digital work (e.g in print or digitally). He answered:
'Well, it used to be one of my big dilemmas, if I have my original drawings or in digital print, or present it in an analog way/in a physical body (e.g. pen drawing). As time went by I realised that artists should adjust their medium according to the situation, according to the diverse status..'
basically, 'it depends', maybe I should have asked further if having a digital drawing with painterly brushstrokes, may seem like a trick presented as a printed digital image, but his work differs from the type of thing I was thinking about... but he's right, it really depends on the work and situation.
anyway, some things that stood out to me:
-Ian asked about the balance of planning and spontaneity in the way he works, and he said seventy percent of the work is done off site and thirty on site usually, but he likes to play around when it's installation time as well. Ian said that's reassuring to hear because a lot of us students are off site right now, of course, and he's thinking of us having to make proposals etc.
-when he observes a gallery space he is going to exhibit in, or wandering in the city, he would write little scribbles or make video recordings to document his emotions at the time, Ian was curious what sort of thing he would record, and he said things like descriptions of people passing or his emotions or the gallery ceiling etc. and sometimes he'd be in the video as well. and kelly said it seems like his starting point is quite cinematic, like he's the main protagonist or something, almost like he is fictionalising the reality as he was living it. I thought this point was really fascinating.
-the root of his work stemming from his psychological stress or anxiety of being like the remnants or discarded waste in the city, from capitalism and consumerism etc.
-the wide range of media he uses to make his work, including performance e.g. when he rented a modern London flat and made a five channel video of him physically attacking the furniture, etc.
-how he uses a lot of found objects as his material. and someone asked if the lockdown affected this aspect of the work and he said he regards the internet as discarded material, found images and video..imposing his own meaning upon it, as the discarded material has lost its original purpose
anyway, I did watch the video he made for us, and I really liked the style in which it was put together. it felt personal and the alienation/anxiety he speaks about is expressed through this introduction. near the end there was even some video collage from cultural references like dua lipa's new 'future nostalgia' album and even a kpop music video, which both came out around this time, contrasted against news footage of the virus.
I will place some screenshots below these notes.. as well as kelly's video..
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rough notes
-network focused on drawing across UAL, kelly, leader camberwell, books and published, shortlisted for prizes, contemporary drawing, teaching extends, archeology students, engineering architecture students choreography and dances etc. in conversation with visiting artist - London and Seoul. MA BFA painting, fine art media slade, urban mythology, duo show at Korean culture centre in UK, etc etc. also involved in residency in Camden art centre.
-conversation recorded. taking questions after. persevere despite changed conditions. had the exhibition at Korean culture centre, but not a lot of people got to see the show bc pandemic.
-portfolio, rendered reality show. range of work. starting point; curator, contacted him, give exhibition to young Korean artists as emerging artist. an exhibition in various media, drawing media etc perspective of the other artist and himself. society, kinetic art, digital drawing, contemporary city, collage, window hallway dark, wide exhibition space. was able to. displayed video taken in city centre of New York, great for people
-beautiful video he made, own personal journal as an artist how he’s been responding to the current. spoke about how an artist is equipped for this situation, more specifically, in terms of him embracing anxiety and alienation as theme in his work how developed in this time.
-actually he saw a meme online, same female painting before during and after the quarantine.. bitter humour. embarrassed bc of previous like ww2, binge Netflix, reading books, as time goes by, found that wanted to redraw something, small pieces instead of big, cant go to studio, mix of drawing record own appearance, images he encountered in his place in this place. this is how most artists feel, embarrassed panicked new normal, new creation that adopt this new reality. tragedy but also opportunities other creative desires and skills.
-ask him, use of collage. for him it is something, no matter what the material it is, you treat video as material. how playing with immateriality and mental and physical. notions of authenticity and reality. formal decision making. - what you have asked now, most important in his practice, question of media and subject matter he uses. his work express uncomfortable feeling that comes from this capitalist society/ consumerism / as visual result of discarded object and physical movement. deformed human figures in abandoned tools or in city. end of its use, could be myself. calculated, building figures , drawing , act to cover up fear or anxiety, of own discarding by this society. when we think of , babies colouring book, once children starts colouring, thinking about nothing, his drawing or collage are like meditation or amusement, some kind of time or labour consuming work, physical act to express suppress feelings, visual outcomes stress form materialistic society, exist in form of art.
-are most materials you use, found or newly generated imagery? film is shot himself, is some imagery taken from other sources. underlying purpose what’s been thrown away and assigning new meaning to it.
-trying to impose his own personal meaning onto the object, losing the original purpose. the kind of thing could be new resource unleashing ability of visual artist. that’s why use title, something new personal meaning.
-ask him about flatness of screen. can make everything seem the same, but same time depth and space, animate in different way.
-reminds him in book as reference, Korean-German philosopher, main content is criticism of beauty which has become subject of consumption. beauty and aesthetic. slickness that removes all cultural, becomes hardened like zombie. In this time, smartphone iPad everything. screen, appreciation of real experience, swiping, scrolling, browser, want to display in real world.
-where is this space for messiness, tarnish within environment. all becomes glossy. polished.
-talk about film a little bit more, come out of other side of different view of yourself. other side of this lockdown, projecting yourself in that space yet. this situation realise how to social change, most chance to become artist disappear, but won’t. book the return of the real - art and academic institution, preserve space , up to artist to feel this real artist space. through this can see realistic world, diverse way of recording from artist like us, taught him about digital and social new normal in this pandemic. at the same time, also informed him that basic fact that he should explore is himself, continue to observe the world based on it, what he can say is, this period has taught him other ways to express himself in unexpected digital, driving forces in making new work and new space in future.
-how he prefers artists to ask questions than answers. emerge, asking questions in the world. -their own way of seeing the world, nobody can give absolute logic viewpoint, anybody can record their own way. that is main role as artist, assignment in explaining world in own way. one day at a time.
-in different city.. work, audience not much different Milan London, interesting things like shaking with him art history, some audience talk about his work with traditional Korean Asian culture.
-used to be his big dilemma, original drawing or digital print, analogue way. as time went by, realised that artists should adjust their medium, transformed in digital drawing, drawing on paper, change according to situation.
-every artist has their own spirituality..
-their experience, highlight his identity as urban drawer. modern circumstances, if somebody asks him his identity, unexpected symptom of Asia, new Asian identity.
-physical venue of art practice. attitude becomes life.
-many of us inspire to be international, currency in cultural production, increasingly difficult moving around, -he thinks we have to handle contradictory, authenticity of globalisation, global symptoms, important thing is merge in own way, filtering diverse information with own standard, own colour. -maybe she’s wandering if people will be moving as much as they want. majority of people, still wandering between countries, experience. -you see that as a way of understanding each other,.. physical experience is important. meeting digitally.
-marsha: proud of calling themselves calling international, post international context. He had that experience a lot, states, fellow artists, favourite answer. I came from Earth. don’t have to be overwhelmed by ethnical background. judging our features, colour or skin type, another prejudice..
-can’t help but ask, can you be be worldly but not travel the world. empathy and curiosity for other people without actually going to those people. he’s pessimistic,
-found objects, mobility limited, had changed way he’s working, lockdown, the found objects, collect digital internet, current moving image project, making those found image with previous drawing, same screen, he regards those leftover digital leftover remnant things for future series. try to regard from internet as found object, remodulate them. But once this is over, want to bring those digital and merge in physical work.
-video work, different subject matter, main is not different, when he has some kind of question, for this daily routine, capture physical or digital memory, recording or performance work, as video installation, present as physical performance. belongs to main subject psychological stasis comes from urban life. daily relationship with relatives..
-the video she shared is not a piece but for people understanding his work. he has performance work to look at as well.
-performing video: rent modern flag in London, anonymous guy disguise, present fight equipment, with physical ability, punch dining table, scratching, sound of body. behind video, stressful Situation alone in house, could use body as resource, people who live in this world. all of these works, coming from problematic mind situation.
-final shows, how they propose work, imagine works before they are shown. kelly’s urban series, how much is he planning, playing with space, how balance spontaneity, -He visits the space exhibition venue, record camera, even voice, explore as much as possible. Start make small part of installation of the entire thing. his studio at corporal project, has project space, where he can test things. install test many times, image, own ideal situation. after that physically go to venue, for actual installation, it could change according to real situation. during installation, can play. as final touch, a little playful. if ratio, seventy percent pre production and thirty post production. worried as tutors, that thirty percent on site no access now. our plan is always different from the real...
-the question of how you observe urban spaces is it always with camera, voice recording, drawing, mostly being iPhone, camera, but at same time, voice maybe even himself, in the frame, emotion, at the site. sometimes writing text scribbling a lot, emotion from certain site. regard all of his artist as visual diary. visual fabric not limited.
-fascinated by voice record. what does he say in those spaces. in case of exhibition venue, special character, white cube space, when unexpected situation, example, parasol unit, etc. fabulous infrastructure of ceiling, once step inside exhibition venue. City sight, not certain type of recording, passing by describe what he observes.
-starting point being cinematic, him the main character. this voiceover main protagonist. any direction. while you’re experiencing it already fictionalising it... -by this experience can record current emotion, thanks to that video, survive in society, video, alternative identity in himself. if has chance to, willing to adapt to this format, actual body of work.
-haven’t actually met in physical space, kelly and him. conversation, transform the conversation in space,,
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https://web.microsoftstream.com/channel/297ffe37-e3c0-45a2-9c1f-302292a1f36a?referrer=https:%2F%2Fpadlet.com%2Fembed%2Fl5dj33mcx4nv
joonhong min's video..
I explored his website as well: (really liked his performative works)
and the Rendred Reality show at the Korean cultural centre in London:
2020 Residency Report Showcase : Rendered Reality
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I looked on the playlist of videos and found that kelly also posted one on her drawing, it was also really fascinating, her relationship with drawing.
transcript: