Lot Essay
Lee Jae Sam nurtures the dry qualities of his medium into smooth, moist layers with clear consciousness to cultivate and mediates the essence of existence. His sole dedication and intimacy towards charcoal is rendered in unforeseen fluency, expressing penetration and absorbency of ink, in which within the stark black horizon, illuminates an optical phenomenon of shimmering tints of blue and green. Though the somberly contrasting background may evidently function to serve the focal aesthetics to the centre subject, but it is precisely the depth of the immeasurable forest that evokes a phenomenal mystery of nature. Lee's deliberately awes us by overshadowing the audience with its soaring trunk as Dalbit-Moonshine (Lot 1523), extends extravagantly into the dense mass of night. The monochromatic palette is clear, its contrast materialize into our vision seemingly flat and incoherent like a collage, but with closer inspection, Lee's subtle twist of the tree trunk plays with our perspectives, positioning the viewer powerless in the mesmerizing, healing spirit of Mother nature. Vastly simple in subject matter but utterly atmospheric in its effect, we as a viewer are left numb in transcendental awe by the cosmic illumination of the moonlight that pulsate life to the tree, leaving us in gratitude of the real essence of the subject that is constantly giving to humanity.