.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
Minjung Kim’s practice distills established ideas regarding abstraction through the filter of East Asian traditions. Vuoto nel Pieno, her seminal work from 2006, is a poetic essay on both material and process, as a grid of fifteen delicate yellow flowers is carefully laid out across the surface. Each flower is comprised of layers of delicately colored rice paper, arranged three-dimensionally to evoke the petals of an open flower. Each form is as individual as its counterpart in nature; undulating and deckled edges built up to create a rosette of warm golden yellow petals. These concentric petals act in concert, becoming an hypnotic force that draws the eye into the center of each of the individual forms, resulting in a contemplative visual experience.
Kim was trained in traditional calligraphy and watercolor painting in her native Korea, but during her studies was exposed to the action painters of the postwar New York School. Influenced by the work of Franz Kline, as well as masters such as Paul Klee, she became captivated by the idea of trying to capture energy and spirit through the manipulation of line and controlled spontaneity, focusing on a concentration of marks and materials rather than representation. For Kim, meaning is derived from process rather than particular forms. Her work has been exhibited widely including at the British Museum, the National Museum of Modern Art in Seoul, Korea and the Civica Biblioteca d’Arte del Castello Sforzesco, Milan.
Kim’s subtle and formal compositions lie at the convergence of East and West. Her consummate understanding of both artistic legacies have led to a unique body of work that successfully combines the complementary elements of both traditions. Her process-based practice ensures that her thoughts, challenges and impulses are present in each of her works, each one becoming a visceral representation of the global nature of contemporary art.
Kim was trained in traditional calligraphy and watercolor painting in her native Korea, but during her studies was exposed to the action painters of the postwar New York School. Influenced by the work of Franz Kline, as well as masters such as Paul Klee, she became captivated by the idea of trying to capture energy and spirit through the manipulation of line and controlled spontaneity, focusing on a concentration of marks and materials rather than representation. For Kim, meaning is derived from process rather than particular forms. Her work has been exhibited widely including at the British Museum, the National Museum of Modern Art in Seoul, Korea and the Civica Biblioteca d’Arte del Castello Sforzesco, Milan.
Kim’s subtle and formal compositions lie at the convergence of East and West. Her consummate understanding of both artistic legacies have led to a unique body of work that successfully combines the complementary elements of both traditions. Her process-based practice ensures that her thoughts, challenges and impulses are present in each of her works, each one becoming a visceral representation of the global nature of contemporary art.