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Infomag ¡µ |
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| A Voyage of Self-discovery |
| Aug / 2010 |
Creating works reflecting her personal experience and thoughts, Artist Choo Kyung-im introduced the computer jacquard weaving, that she learned in U.S. and Canada, to Koreans. Now she is attempting to apply new ideas-combining painting and jacquard weaving- as an innovative artist.
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Artist Choo Kyung-im grew up playing in her artist-mother¡¯s studio, observing her mother¡¯s endless work procedures. Her father hoped she would study anything but arts in college, but her decision to become an artist was pretty much inevitable.
After receiving B.F.A in textile arts in Sang Myung University, Artist Choo left to U.S to study at the Purdue University. Studying in a country with a dramatically different culture, Choo experienced internal and spiritual conflicts and questioned her own identity. Nevertheless, she desired to be faithful to her Korean spirit and keep it as the basis for her artistic and spiritual creation.
Before she left for U.S., she underestimated the beauty of traditional Korean arts and avoided applying them in her art pieces. But after years of living away from home, her patriotic spirit led her to trace the course of her life and appreciate the privilege of being a Korean with such beautiful traditions. Consequently, she started creating pieces using her handprints or photographs- connoting her identity and ego.
Choo also put her personal thoughts into the work as a way of showing her identity rather than showing off the technical expertise. During the procedure, she fully engages herself into the work and tries to deliver her feelings like writing a diary.
Designer Choo spent most times going to exhibitions of various artists, and it helped her to broaden her artistic ideas as well as establishing her artistic style. She finally realized her true passion and enthusiasm as a jacquard weaving artist, and decided to be an innovative designer in the history of textile design. Close student-faculty ties and different classroom settings that required active discussion or presentation boosted her self-confidence and expanded her knowledge.
Choo Kyung-im¡¯s use of jacquard weaving may still be unfamiliar to the Korean viewers. Even 10 years ago, she was one of the few jacquard weaving artists in Asia or in the world, and she still frequently participates in workshops in Montreal, Canada to introduce and learn more techniques. At the same time, Choo is inventing her own techniques to combine digital weaving with painting.
¡°One of the rare and great pleasures of observing the work of young artists is to see the transformation of a traditional medium and the birth of a significant art form. Choo Kyung-im has emerged as an important new artist, among the first generation of digital weavers. Her work honors the centuries long traditions of textile and fiber arts while engaging with modern technology and, most importantly, exploring one of the major paradigms of postmodern art, the formation of identity,¡± the art critic Kathryn J. Reeves said.
Artist Choo¡¯s attempt to reflect artistic aura into desolate objet or neglected jacquard weaving shows her challenging spirit.
She explained, ¡°I put the best possible effort for every thread. Although it is very tiresome process, I think that¡¯s what makes my work-probably all the textile arts- more meaningful and precious. For the upcoming exhibition, I wanted to introduce somewhat different works from before. I was always discontented about the fact that people define textile artists as only craft artists, not fine artists. So I wanted to show that I am also capable of combining the fine art elements into the textile art. I painted on the fabric using more colors other than black and white as if it was a canvas, as well as using hand dripping techniques.¡±
As noted by Reeves: ¡°Traditional jacquard weaving is a slow and laborious process. Choo¡¯s weavings show fragments of Korean symbols, colors, patterns, letters, and characters, interwoven and complexly layered. The jacquard process allows the use of only a few colors and Choo surpasses this limitation by choosing subtle, quietly expressive colors. Clearly, her digital images show her skill in exploiting the possibilities of both electronic art and the computer jacquard loom. Choo transforms the weaving proves – threads alternatively exposed and hidden, brought to the surface and then down to the back, shuttle thrown right and left – into a metaphor for her internal and external experiences and conflicting desires. We experience her work by entering a mysterious world, a shifting environment of rich pattern, changes in clarity, fragmented words and symbols that whisper their meanings to us.¡±
As a sequel to the previous works, Choo uses the changes of her life as a subject of this coming exhibition. It includes the confusion she has experienced after return to Korea. She is still not fully used to the fast-moving Korean life and heavy traffic, compare to the relaxed life she had in America. Hence, she used the photos she took in America and computerized them for digital weaving.
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The photos Choo used seem just like a normal Californian landscape, but they are nostalgic. The artist chose the roads, gas stations or the trees she passed by everyday as a subject. In the context, those subjects work as mediums that connect Choo Kyung-im in two different places, and show her conflicting desires.
Because of its photographic effect, Choo suggests the audiences to view her works from the distance. Otherwise, it only shows the structured textiles other than the full image of the photograph.
Continuously, Choo Kyung-im is going to keep using her perpetual question about her ¡°self¡± for the series of work. As she grows into a mature artist, more stories are expected to fill the galleries and to show her footsteps of finding identity.
On the other hands, Choo¡¯s attempt to introduce new textile technique is expected to go on. Developing the textile art into a fine art by combining painting using thread is one of the many concepts she is planning.
Artist Choo¡®s next challenge is to learn computerized embroidery. She is anticipating being able to deliver and communicate her emotions with viewers through her works.
Choo Kyung-im is not afraid to challenge or to fail. The fearless spirit is an impetus for the designer and she won¡¯t stop taking new steps towards the fresh artistic ideas.
-written by Lee Bora
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Choo Kyung-im¡¯s ¡°Finding Identity¡±
Date: August 4th -14th
Location: The Gallery Jang
Address: 66-11, Gyoung-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Korea
Tel: 02-730-3533
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