LEE Jihyun: Reflective Surface
ARARIO SEOUL is presenting the 6th solo exhibition of Lee, Ji-hyun . Lee earned B.F.A. and M.F.A. degrees in Fine Arts at Sungshin Women’s University and had has solo shows at Sun Contemporary Gallery(2006), ARARIO BEIJING(2006) and doArt Gallery(2005).
Lee creates a narrative structure of consciousness on two-dimensional canvas with an outstanding color sensation and skillful space composition by combining a specific place and private thing/space. This exhibition will show paintings along with installation and drawing of cool composition and color and extension of view and space.
In Lee’s painting, the combination of familiar public places and private things/spaces are shown. In the ancient Greek shrine, the great scenic beauty of Jeju spreads; in Smithsonian Museum, splendid ornaments and an elephant appear; the wall of MoMA suddenly becomes the artist’s studio; Arario Gallery in Seoul is linked to one’s living room. The afterimage remembered as aura of specific space is entangled with familiar neighbored things or scenes, and it gives a feeling of memory being abruptly swept away. And this entanglement of multi-layered space-time reveals illogic fragmented conscious flow. Then, finally, following by natural view and conscious flow, when the aura of remembrance is disrupted, you throw a question on the audience’s eyes. Are you the person in the scene of unfolded memory or the hero/heroin of living room in gallery? Are you the subject of one’s eyes or the marginal person?
This game of view by Lee’s artwork begins from the space structure in unintentionally unfolded space being frequently crossed the space and time. Following by the edited multi-scene, the moment the audience becomes the subject of artwork; one becomes another person outside of work, and being retroacted to somewhere in overlapped space. As Lee composes her own practiced visual sign on canvas, she reflects the calm and refined gesture to the view of the audience. And she attempts funambulism of the subject and the object in a very simple way. The consequence of its process will be left to the audience like the subtle allusion of title, in this exhibition.
Lee clearly shows what she wants to say with refreshing color sensation and drawing skill, and sometimes she can hide it like a secret and private diary. In this exhibition of ARARIO SEOUL, meanwhile the solidly refined paintings weave the drastic narrative of consciousness; canvas drawings and installation with totally different style of rapid brush touch metaphorically connect to the artwork. And we will confront the extension of ‘seeing’ what two-dimensional painting only can provide in the game of endlessly unfolded view and space and refined expression of ‘the way of seeing’ derived from it.
