Page 27 - 이군우 초대전 2023. 3. 13 – 3. 25 아트갤러리라포애

The Understanding of Art, the Understanding of Pictures

- Joo-cheol Choi (Columnist)

What kind of feelings does the artist Goon-woo Lee have? Though people who are curious can make assumptions based on a picture
or profile, the art world of an artist cannot be fully known. Chattering like a neighborhood housewife while sipping on a cup of coffee,
a multitude of emotions including the sense of worthiness, burden, happiness, loneliness, etc. experienced as an artist are revealed.
After listening to the explanation of an artwork, a glimpse of the artist’s art world becomes visible to look into. Artist Goon-woo Lee is
an artist who loves nature more than people. The words, “He looks like an artist” comes out naturally.

Freud once said, “Artists are people who got out of a space with no exit.” Here, the ‘exit’ is ‘a passageway for emotions’ that discharges
the suppression that comes from the external world. Although an incident from the external world has a rational and emotional
system, the method of curing the internal world follows the method of the subjective and non-rational emotions. Artists sublimate
such instinctive desires instead of suppressing them. The desire of the artists to express themselves is strong. The picture explains and
tells us about the artist Goon-woo Lee.

It is common to see recent modern artists’ artworks that only express modern emotions taking up the mainstream. Artist Goon-woo
Lee has been immersing in his artworks while achieving a natural collaboration with the tradition for the past 30 years. His works of
art stick to the old tradition but adds modern emotions inside the pieces. The beauty of the sophistication not only stands out, but the
tradition of the Republic of Korea is being protected by using a unique, traditional material to the frame the work of art.

The main material that appears in the artworks by the artist Goon-woo Lee is the apricot flower. The splendid colors and the
mysterious shape of the apricot flower and the traditional materials are demonstrated on screen. The apricot flower emanating
the mysterious coloring is a material where the emotions of young Goon-woo Lee is stained. The sight of apricot flowers radiantly
blossoming when the window was opened throughout his childhood. It seems the memories from that time left a mark on the inner
being of the artist is now being expressed through the works of art.

When discussing the artworks of artist Goon-woo Lee, the topic of materials cannot be left out. He himself once said, “The materials
and method of the artwork expression utilizes pure paper, the screen, and cloth, to mix the colors with soil, muk (jelly), enamels, the
glow-in-the-dark pigment, etc. By selecting material that can be obtained easily from nature, the scent of nature can be felt.”

Being mindful of the many art pieces of artists are lost expressions through faded colors after 100~200 years, work is been done
using raw materials that are found in nature itself. The main materials are enamels, soil, and wood which can be obtained easily and
preserves the longest. Because the work of art is expressed by using a natural material in this way, one can feel the traditional beauty
easily.

The first meeting with artist Goon-woo Lee, who was courteous towards visitors to the gallery and passionately explained his artwork,
was refreshing, pleasant, and extremely delightful. I believe our connection is precious. After seeing ‘The Loyalty of Bo-seong Kim’
advertisement in the newspapers and on TV, I laughed. But, all of Korea was enthusiastic. Because there was a twist to it, I got around
th
to thinking about fidelity in laughter. The receipt of the attention by the actress Bo-seong Kim, who was in his 25 year after debut,
was because of his sincere and continuous cry of ‘loyalty.’

Loyalty towards art. If it’s loyalty towards a picture, look to artist Goon-woo Lee. I would like to widely share the art-soul of artist
Goon-woo Lee, who has been immersed in the works of art while keeping a natural collaboration with tradition for over 40 years.

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