WOMAN’S SURCOAT (CHINA), LATE 19TH CENTURY
Like a hidden treasure hidden within a pile of clutters of artworks, its unique beauty captivated me instantly. Conveying a different feeling compared to the western arts that dominate the space, despite its complex patterns, the Woman’s surcoat is subtle and relaxing. So simply standing in front of this artwork relaxed my thoughts and at the same time, like a port key from Harry Potter Series, it time traveled me to the 19th Century. I personally love going to historical palaces back in Korea because when I set my feet into the enormous palace, the past overwhelms me. I could imagine the history that I have only seen in books and picture. This coat gave me the same feeling. As if China in the 19th century had suddenly moved to the Cooper Hewitt Museum, I was standing in the middle of history.
I think this artwork also relates to my booklet as they are both reflecting on Asian history. Though my booklet is about a Korea Town in New York, I wanted to incorporate traditional Korean artistic style into the book. Therefore, I am using rice papers, Sumi ink, and binding them in a Korean traditional style. And maybe like the palaces and the surcoat, this book might take its viewers back in time.
STAIRCASE MODEL (FRANCE), LATE 19TH CENTURY
Although this staircase is very simple, I think his work resonates with me because it reminded me of my Space/Materiality project. For my recent space project, I had to make a wooden structure using parabolic curves and the outcome looked somewhat similar to this artwork. The layering of wood to create the complex curves resembles the staircase’s spirals. Not being used to 3D, transitioning my ideas from 2D to sculpture was very difficult at first. However, getting used to the wood and contracting the artwork, I realized that I actually like wood and 3D. Still looking at this complex yet simple project, I feel like I have a long way to go and I am eager to work hard. For my booklet, I am thinking about creating a wooden chest to store the book like a time capsule that tells the story of Korea Town.
TEXTILE, COLOR SAMPLE BLANKET, 2016
Though the artwork itself is simple, I like how it shows the different shades of blue in a peculiar way, like a scientific experiment. Though we simply refer to it as blue, there are so many different shades of blue depending on how we mix the colors. I love exploring the subtle differences within colors and this work especially reflects on this aspect. For my bridge 2 project, I am using the Sumi ink to draw illustrations and it is interesting to play with the concentration of the black to creating a subtle difference within the illustration.