Page 5 - 이성영 작가 작품집

Sung-Young, Lee-Splendid Revival of Discarded Memory

Artist Sung-Young, Lee has very various painting world. There are some ink-painted landscape works, some color-pained landscapes as well
as abstract paintings using several objects. In this post-modern times when the boundary among art genres is vague and meaningless, Artist
Lee’s variety may be a natural result.

However in the oriental painting world where the ink-painted works and color-painted works respect each other’s own realms and their
boundary is relative distinct, Artist Lee’s works adopting various methodologies are very unique. That may be his trial to communicate with
public’s taste pursuing various, different ways, or be his intention to challenge all methodologies as an artist of this fast changing time. But
his works show very postivie results in that the ink-painted landscape works emphasize elaborate realism, and the color-painted landscape
works significantly shows fresh color senses, and in his object works, new trials attracted much attention.
Among them, I intend to discuss his object works newly tried by him these days. The all object materials which he uses these days are
capsulated medicines. Removing the powder medicines, Artist Lee utilizes the empty capsules as his objects. He presses these empty
capsules and posts them on the canvas, and draws patterns or paints over the capsules. Through this production process, he creates a work.

A capsulated medicine may have several meanings. First of all, their meaning is the efficiency as medicine. They were medicines to treat and
save lives. But they might be addictive for patients being treated with them. The addiction is another disease. Second, they have the meaning
of shelf life. However good they are, the can be toxic if when their shelf life is exceeded. The toxicity is an irony to all medicine having cure
feature and detoxification. As time goes by, the medicines which saved lives one day are eventually discarded. The white powder in their
capsules are dumped into a wastebasket. Similarly, our lives will eventually be discarded and our shelf life will be ended.

Collecting the empty capsules which are thrown away, Sung-Young, Lee attached on them on the canvas and beautifully painted them,
and drew flowers, trees, mountains or rivers over them. The empty capsules that came close to be discarded are reborn into absolutely
new appearances on Artist Lee’s canvas. It is the moment revealing different existence feature of things from their fixed concepts by our
stereotypes. Like that the capsules which were medicines becomes an art work, the flowing water in a stream often become the life by
penetrating themselves into trees. All things in our universe have natural features, but when they face another different environment, they
are evolved into new appearances. His questions about what the essence become new meanings in his works made of empty capsules.

Like that the capsulated medicines which had treated our diseases were firmly discarded, he asked us whether we are so excited in new
things and carelessly discard important things, whether the life shelf may be applied to living people, or whether we may indulge in
charming opportunity of this moment like drug addicts. Current appearance of empty capsules beautifully painted on the canvas after
discharging their duty now ask many questions to the audience.

Then, Sung-Young, Lee’s capsule works may be a new prescription to appreciators. The works demand the audience to think new ideas
as well as simply visual satisfaction on beautiful appearances of mountains, trees or flowers drawn by him. Sung-Young, Lee splendidly
transformed the discarded, empty capsules into painting works. He made the materials thrown away and forgotten be remembered newly.
Therefore his capsule works inspire new ideas about things which should be lost or discarded by us. In that, Sung-Young, Lee’s painted
empty capsules may be another healing symbol.

Each empty capsule is earnestly attached on the canvas. The attachment work is like a labor requiring much time. An empty capsule is like
the self-portrait of modern people who lose their natures in the world. Paining work with gorgeous colors often seems to be sorrowful. But
the artist meticulously attaches each empty capsule on the canvas like that he insist its existence feature in order to make a new appearance.
By doing so, the empty capsule is given another duty. The attached capsules over the canvas become another field for flowers, trees and
mountains drawn over them. The work is a splendid revival of empty capsules.

Sung-Young, Lee’s such painting methodology is in the same context with the oriental esthetics’ goal asking philosophical questions about
universe, life story or current situation to the appreciators, not simply pursuing the material beauty. That is, he uses various sculpture
formats but the ways developing contents is very similar with the oriental esthetic viewpoint. That will be the point distinguishing Sung-
Young, Lee’s object abstract from the type of pop art works in this time.

Jang, Jeong-Rhan(Dr. Art History & Literature)
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