이길래 개인전

LEE, GIL-RAE

나무, 형상을 구축하다 LEE, GIL-RAE

기간 ┃2010. 6. 9 (수) - 7. 10 (토) 장소 ┃사비나미술관 전관·예술의전당 한가람미술관 야외광장

Structure of the cohesion , from the pine tree Choi tae-man (Art critic)

Cohesion When I dropped in the studio of Lee Gil-Rae of Goesan in the Chungbuk province in sprinkling spring rain, there were a number of trees standing in the yard a bit disorderly in the rain. Part of them were so terribly warped and entangled each other that they looked like a transformed and distorted shape of grappling wrestlers or like the fresh of fowls of which hair were pulled away. Most of the remaining, however, could be called as trees since the trees reached their branches toward the sky though branches were very tortuous and rather small. Small wood consisting of his works is opposed to real trees planted in the yard and seemed to produce subtle harmony and contrast. The 'enchanted wood' in a word is the landscape produced by the trees, of which stems are overly bloated compared to short branches, placing itself upside down with waist cut off, making a circle regressing toward the earth, uterus for trees, rather than vertical growth. Exaggeratingly speaking, it looked like as if I had seen the ecological disaster.

Meaning of the ecological disaster here is that his works are expressing trees but they do not bear slightest resemblance to trees and rather associate with trees which might be grown in the mysterious and supernatural imaginary forest. His monstrous trees stir up our ominous imagination as if they were newly emerged plants on Earth after collision with a strange planet or proliferated abnormally by human desire.

It also shows that he did not pay much attention to reappearance. Though atypical abstract forms are interlocking each other, however, it cannot be denied that motifs of his work start from trees. It is also worth notice that the pine tree is the model. As pine tree is widely distributed across the country, it has been our most valuable source of building materials and furniture and was once used as an energy for pebble warming. Like this, pine tree has been the most familiar tree to us and has also served as the symbolic meaning of principle and honor beyond a practical level as a evergreen tree.

Now it is clear that Lee Gil-Rae is creating a pine tree to capture something more than to reproduce the shape of a pine tree. The pine tree means 'cohesion' for him. Meaning of Cohesion is the formation of the particles to lump together and it is consistent with his methods of creation. He creates the shape of the pine tree by welding pieces of thin slices of copper pipe. The surface made by tightly weaving these thin slices, which are bigger than rings but much smaller than bracelets, looks like the epidermis of the pine tree cracked like turtle shell. With this epidermis made by connecting rings, his hollow pine tree becomes very strong. As he puts emphasis on highlighting a lump, it is more important for him to create a similar solid to tree than to make the tree itself. The trees produced this way do not take roots in the earth but have a form of surviving independently above the earth. Though it is not a tree thick of needle-like leaves, it would not be hard to associate vitality of the evergreens with this coherent structure.

Accumulated time Lee Gil-Rae showed me a work just in progress in studio. It has different forms compared to other works already completed. He made lots of leaves of conifers with sliced thin copper bar and has pasted branches with them. This work is similar to reality compared to other works with trunk and branches

only. Watching the work, I felt as if I had seen a paint of old pine tree. Reproduction is, however, still not purpose for him. He has used his house, where he once lived with his family, as studio and reading room and I was able to find an interesting drawing there. A drawing for the leafy pine tree was placed on the wall of studio. Actual form of the work as well as specifications were written down on the drawing.

Besides he has already drawn lots of sketches with steel pen. A poet out of this sculptor's juniors stop over this studio prior to my visit. He wrote an improvised poem then and it was also placed there. I remember that Lee Gil-Rae was described as 'an artist painting in the sky with steel pen' in the poem.

Anyway the drawings I saw there proved that his work was not done at his discretion by intuition in the course of production but was conducted deliberately. That is, the form of his work is determined by the drawing. The drawing was made with elaborateness and prudence of design drawing's level so the results can be easily estimated when it is expanded to a three-dimensions. It can be shown from the relief works attachable to the wall. One has the co-helical structure like ammonites and the other looks like a mountain range with many trunks piled up. There is also a wood captured only trunks of pine tree and all these are very picturesque though they are sculptors. The structure produced by trunks of trees piled like crease of the earth implies 'accumulation and continuance of time'. It is also found from the annual rings expressed on the part cut off epidermis linked with numerous rings, trunks and branches. The signs could also be called as a fingerprint of times.

If so, what Lee Gil-Rae wants to say through these trees. Anyone can see that he is projecting himself on strength of pine tree. If we are looking beyond that, he might make us aware of the finite of the human beings by presenting marks of the accumulated time. His way of doing work looks simple and honest but it is also an action of accumulation of time and adaptation to passage of time. However, he does not simply submit himself to time but looks it back through torpid process. Although his work is focused on presentation of cohered form itself, it is a matter of our sense to ruminate of life through it.

LEE, GIL- RAE Graduated from Dept. of Art Education, Kyunghee Univ.

M. A. Dept. of Sculpture, Kyunghee Univ.

Professor at Kyunghee Univ., College of Art (1994-2003) SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2008 The 6th Solo Exhibition (Savina Museum, Seoul) 2007 The 5th Solo Exhibition (Art-space Camerata, Seoul) Korean Contemporary Art Festival (Seoul Art Center, Hangaram Art Museum) 2003 The 4th Solo Exhibition (Galerie Bhak, Seoul) 2001 The 3rd Solo Exhibition (Galerie Bhak, Seoul) 1997 The 2nd Solo Exhibition (Kum-Ho Museum, Seoul) 1991 The 1st Solo Exhibition (Gallery Ye-Hyang, Seoul)

2001

2000

1999

1998 GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2010 "Unexpected" (D-art Gallery, Daejeon) 2009 "Our Garden", The 5th Open-Air Sculpture Exhibition (Gimhae Arts and Sports Center, Gimhae) "Cosmetic Jam" (Insa Art Center, Seoul) "New Morning" (Seoul Art Center Gongpyeong Gallery, Seoul) Special Exhibition for the Year of Ox (Jang Eun Sun Gallery, Seoul) 2008 "The party ", C.J.L.L.P.S Sculpture Exhibition (Gallery Kayang, Seoul) "Sehan-Do in My Mind" (Photohouse Gallery, Seoul) Space and Urban Design Exhibition (Old Seoul Station Museum, Seoul) Hwaum Project (Seoul Art Center, Concert Hall, Seoul) "Arts and Play" (Seoul Art Center, Hangaram Art Museum, Seoul) "Creative Mind" (Savina Museum, Seoul) 2007 The Five selected Contemporary Sculptors Exhibition (Daegu Gallery Soheon, Daegu) International Sculpture Symposium in Ichon (Ichon Seolbong Park, Ichon) Korea-China-Japan Modern Arts Exhibition (Nowon District office, Seoul) The 1st Open-Air Sculpture Exhibition (Pyramid Square in COEX Trade Center, Seoul) Art-garden (Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, Seoul) 2006 Art-park (Seongnam Art Center, Seongnam) 2005 Outdoor project "Blue in the stream" (Seongnam Art Center, Seongnam) "Melting Zone" (Gallery Davinchi, Seoul) 2004 "Should say not all Still Life" (Gana Art Center, Seoul) Outdoor project "Festival" (Sejong Cultural Center, Seoul) "Art & Environment" (Galerie Bhak, Seoul) 2003 40's Artist (Gallery Moro, Seoul) Seoul Auction Fair 2003 (Seoul Auction A+Space, Seoul) Kyunghee Univ. Art Education Exhibition (Gallery Chongro, Seoul) 2002 Invitation Exhibition of Dong-A Art Award (Gallery Sang, Seoul) Kyunghee Sculpture Association Exhibition (Insa Art Plaza, Seoul) Members of Dong-A Artist Association Exhibition (National Museum of Contemporary Art, Kwa Cheon)

1997

1996

1995 1994

"Sculpture and Space" (Korea First Bank, Seoul) Invitation Exhibition of Korean Contemporary Sculpture (Chunchen MBC, Chunchen) Artists Today (The World Ceramic EXPO Open-air Pavilion, Seoul) "2001 to 2002" Sculpture Exhibition (Gallery lamer, Seoul) Miami International Art Fair (Galerie Bhak, Miami Beach Convention Center, Florida, U.S.A) "Unification 2000" (The National Assembly Building, Seoul) 200 Sculptors Invitation Exhibition (Gallery Wing, Seoul) Invitation Exhibition of Jung-ang Art Award (Hoam Art Museum, Seoul) Invitation Exhibition of Dong-A Art Award (Ilmin Museum of Art, Seoul) San Francisco International Art Fair (Galerie Bhak Fort Mason Center, U.S.A.) 200 sculptors' Artworks Exhibition (Sun Gallery, Seoul) Gak Sculpture Exhibition (Dukwon Gallery, Seoul) "Drawing Crossing" Exhibition (Kumho Museum, Seoul) Pusan International Art Festival (Pusan Museum of Art, Pusan) International Ceramic Biennalle (Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul) "Breathing of Korean People" Exhibition (Art Hall, Seoul) Invitation Exhibition of Dokushima University (Dokusima University Museum, Japan) Members of Dong-A Artist Association Exhibition (National Museum of Contemporary Art, Kwa Cheon) Asia Modern Art Festival (Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul) Asia Modern Art Festival (Doll Gallery, Seoul) Invitation Exhibition; Young Artist in Korea (Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul) Members of Dong-A Artist Association Exhibition (National Museum of Contemporary Art, Kwa Cheon) "Finding Han River" (Gallery Jo-Hyung, Seoul) Invitation Exhibition Celebrating the 45th Anniversary of Kyunghee Univ. (Seoul Art Hall, Seoul)

AWARDS 1995 Special Award in Jung-Ang Biennale 1990 Dong-A Art Award in the Dong-Art Festival 1989 Special Award in the 8th Great Art Exhibition of Korea 1988 Participation Award in the 11th Jung-Ang Greate Art Exhibition 1987 Special Award in the 5th Greate Art Exhibition of the youth

PERMANENT COLLECTIONS Kwachon National Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul Museum of Art, Savina Museum of Contemporary Art, Samsung Foundation of Culture, CJ Foundation of Culture, Daegu Health College, Seoul Supreme Prosecutors Office Memorial Sculpture, Anseong Memorial Sculpture Park, Yeongdong Sculpture Park, Jinhae Jangbok Mountain Park Outdoor Sculpture, Bucheon dodang Park, Seoul Hanjin Haemoro, Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction Office Building, Seoul Mariott Hotel, Gapyung Ecopia, Daegu Banwoldang, Moonkyung STX Resort, Pohang Valueplus

나무, 형상을 구축하다 LEE, GIL-RAE 기간 ┃2010. 6. 9 (수) - 7. 10 (토) 장소 ┃사비나미술관 전관·예술의전당 한가람미술관 야외광장

Printed by KC Communications

2010

110-240 서울특별시 종로구 안국동 159 TEL.02-736-4371 FAX.02-736-4372 #159, Anguk-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 110-240, Korea www.savinamuseum.com