Lee Seung-taek
[1][2] As one of the first generation pioneers of experimental art[3] in Korea, Lee is known for his "non-sculptural" artworks[4] that include "display of pieces in stone, rope and newsprint.
[6] "Unfettered by the demands of crude nationalism or from chasing the so-called international art world," Lee's work came to be seen as "starting point for a different kind of avant-garde lineage.
[9] Born in Kowon, Hamgyeong Province in North Korea, Seung-taek Lee has had a wide range of interest since childhood.
As a student, Lee became fascinated by Nietzsche's philosophy, which led him to pursue experimental art of the metaphysical.
[10] Lee considered that those artists and critics were unaware of their own identity and began to experiment with trials and errors of imitation in order to understand the true nature of Korean modern art.
Lee questioned himself whether he can even negate the bones, the remainder, and moved on to creating works without solid forms; he became interested in immateriality.
The work consists of a U-shaped piece of plaster, which is wrapped with barbed wire and smeared colors of red and blue.
In 2004, Lee further explained his thinking behind the piece in Kim Yung-hee's essay Following the Godret Stone: Entangled Energy/Spiritual World with Modernity.
The work's visual impact comes from the "tension between the wooden bar, precariously hung from two thin cords, and the clusters of bifurcated stones that effectively conjure a sense of gravitational pressure".
[17] He found them in nature—seas, beaches, fields and agricultural products—in artificial environments—stone walls in Jeju Island as well as manufactured architectural items—and in unfamiliar areas such as seaweed farms.
[19] He burned his old paintings and let them drift away in the Han River to demonstrate his defiant drive to "escape from the bonds of the past".
In 1961, Lee began the first of his onggi, or oji, the "dark semi-porous earthenware traditionally used in Korea for storing and fermenting various condiments", works.
He joined the group for their second exhibition in November 1964 at the Central Information Center next to Toksu Palace in Seoul, Korea.
[22] In 1967, he created a huge installation work that was made from Lee's accidental experiment, which occurred when he went to a military camp near the DMZ to draw a portrait for a division commander.
[26] The unpredictability of his subjects, such as wind, fire, and smoke, played a significant role in the making of his non-materiality works.
[25] At the MOT International exhibition in London, the Paper Tree installation and the photographic documentation of Wind-Folk Amusement give the form to the "transience of nature" and capture the energetic movement of the wind.
[24] Natural landscape and elements act as an artistic medium, as well as a backdrop to Lee's performances and outdoor installations.
As he painted huge waterfalls on places around Bukhan Mountain, his other related works also became more eco-friendly and promoted the importance in saving nature damaged by civilization.
[31] In addition, Lee expressed his pleasure for working on his art in isolation, such as in the deep mountains or fields without concerning other people's attention.
He declared for the Self-Burning Performance Art Festival in 1989 that he would make one or two artworks in various types each day of the exhibition period, and later burn the works.
[35] At the Gwangju Art Biennale, Lee exhibited a monumental, double self-portrait The Artist to be Out of Breath (1991).
The work consists of "bales of old clothes bound together into spindly, multi-limbed armatures that sprout two massive, scowling heads".
