Gallery Baton is pleased to present a solo presentation by Korean female photographer, Heeseung Chung, All Different Fifteen Climaxes in Art Basel Hong Kong 2021.
Chung, currently the most promising female photographer in Korean art scene and a finalist for the 2020 Korea Artist Prize, completed her BA and MA in Photography at London College of Communication in 2007. Since then, she has been showing a remarkable step as a contemporary photographer by being invited major art institutions such as Art Sonje Center (2013), Leeum, the Samsung Museum of Art (2014), Seoul Museum of Art (2014), MMCA (2017), the 12th Gwangju Biennale (2018), and Belfast Photo Festival (2019).
All Different Fifteen Climaxes is a series of photographic works with containing a total of 15 images of the rose. The photos taken with a deep depth of field setting in the front composition of the sky blue background show the original appearance of the rose itself without any manipulation or hidden intention. Like images taken for specific research purposes or the need for an archive, their existence is revealed in the exhibition hall at neat and strict intervals in the booth.
While preparing for this series, the seriousness, technical perfection, and moderation that Chung focused on are comparable to the ideal manual practice of the 'Direct Photo' style, which emphasized sharpness and detailed description of the image. At the same time, the thorough testimony on the appearance of the rose, matching sensitive background color matching, and the customized magnification of the image considering the distance to the viewer lead to immersion in the reality observed by the artist.
The dictionary definition of the rose only deals with the physical characteristics, appearance, and habitat information of this flower, and does not exemplify it as a sample by pointing out a specific period during its life cycle. This is also related to the artist's gaze dealing with 15 images, and there is no differentiated emotional intervention to the specific images in which the petals are withered and fallen. Paradoxically, this approach without consideration and sympathy to them is used as a device that keeps the original morality and decorative beauty to the last stage, and visually tells us that all scenes fall under the category are the 'Idea' of a rose.
All different fifteen Climaxes, which provides a rich allegory of criticism and appreciation, such as temporality, connotation, circulation, and climax with simple variations of rose images, will offer opportunity to experience the 'Objectivity of Heeseung Chung' trained and pursued by her attitude toward photography.
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