Set up view of “Irreverent Kinds” at Gladstone Gallery Seoul / Courtesy of Gladstone Gallery
One thing is “off” in regards to the moon jars at Gladstone Gallery Seoul. Not one conforms to the classical, gently swelling symmetry of their Joseon-era (1392-1910) predecessors. Some lean and sag as if sinking into the ground; others seem punctured, their rims warped and unsteady. Nonetheless others have been damaged and pieced again collectively, their cracks left defiantly seen for all to see.
In its new group exhibition, “Irreverent Kinds,” three up to date Korean artists every confront and defy the centuries-old custom of ceramics by means of their very own types of natural, off-kilter imperfection.
Lee Hun-chung seeks to interrupt free from the perfect of good symmetry lengthy prized in ceramics. He lets the unpredictable forces of clay, hearth, water and air intervene within the work throughout the wheel-throwing course of and contained in the kiln.
“We revere the moon jars of the 18th century as a result of they embody the spirit of their time. However as an artist dwelling within the twenty first century, I started to surprise: if I had been to recreate a vessel that appeared similar to what our ancestors made, would folks within the twenty third or twenty fourth century take a look at it with the identical reverence they really feel for the originals?” he stated on the gallery.
“I imagine artwork is born by means of destruction. By negating an present worth, a brand new one can emerge. So for me, difficult these previous, heavy traditions of magnificence has opened the door to new prospects.”
Dan Kim’s “Persona #2” (2021) / Courtesy of Gladstone Gallery
In the meantime, Dan Kim makes use of the moon jar that has been erupted extensive open as a vessel to precise his hybrid id and queer selfhood.
“In ceramics lessons, the curriculum typically focuses on how exactly you possibly can replicate your professor’s jar. And in Korea, the shape itself is iconic. I wished to experiment with making and unmaking this object that, in some ways, symbolizes normativity,” he advised The Korea Instances.
Kim gathered discarded ceramic shards of various colours and sizes and reassembled them right into a single physique. After firing, he poured glazes in several hues over the floor and even sure the jars with rope — a sculptural embodiment of a queer aesthetic that resists “correct” contours.
“The cracks, the rope, the noticed marks seen on the wooden items — I wished to deliver all of those components collectively to problem the concept of a single ‘regular’ and discover layered hybridity,” he famous.
Set up view of “Irreverent Kinds” at Gladstone Gallery Seoul / Courtesy of Gladstone Gallery
Kim Ju-ree’s “Evanescent Panorama” sequence facilities on disappearance — a paradoxical theme for ceramics, that are historically made to endure.
The sequence right here options homes typical of Korea’s industrial increase throughout the Nineteen Eighties, sculpted from unfired clay that slowly dissolves as water is poured at their base. Their gradual transformation displays the vanishing architectural landscapes of Seoul’s neighborhoods amid city redevelopment.
“I started this work round 2008 in Hwigyeong-dong, Seoul,” she stated. “At the moment, my house and studio had been about to be razed on account of redevelopment beneath the Lee Myung-bak administration. I wished to seize a form of portrait of our period.”
