Paintings sometimes reproduce tangible things, and at other times depict less tangible things from the artist's mind. Wherever it comes from, it is borrowed from the outside world, relative to the canvas. To take that idea further, all things tangible or otherwise, seem to have an inherent potential to be reproduced or represented as image. However, before those things are transferred onto canvas, they seem not to matter, not significant, merely in a state of physical being, without matter. Exploring those states pre-matter, refining them and composing them into a state of matter is the realm of the artist.
Read MoreSojung Lee seeks starting points for her images in the most random forms. The artist's process begins by applying a thin mulberry pulp paper over the surface to be painted. She applies cinnabar red ink (jumuk-朱墨), over the hanji to permeate to its own characteristics. The permeation is organic and at times, odd. Lee finds images in the random ink patterns as if by pareidolia, like archaeologist in prehistoric caves seeking murals. She draws out forms from chaos, and gives greater material to make the forms even more tangible. Even with a set pattern of work, the amount of dye, brush stroke and pressure cause a different outcome every time.
Text courtesy GALLERY2.
