Drawing Art Review: Kwon Kisoo

Kwon Kisoo is exhibiting his first solo show at the Flowers Gallery, and thanks to the Flavor Wire Article (found via Artkrush) I know about it. Simply titled “Kwon Kisoo: Recent Works”, the exhibit features the ‘Dongguri’ paintings. Kisoo has exhibited these mostly in East Asia and has developed a following there, but this is his first showing in New York.
Dongguri is as much a character as it is a simplified form; explained as Kisoo's "alter ego", it has no gender or otherwise distinguishable features, leaving it open to the interpretation of the audience. The forms are simple and repeated - strange candy stripes make up the bamboo forests, blossoms share the same shapes, the Dongguri itself is repeated with near indistinguishable clones ( I can't tell the difference between the 'original' and the 'copies', at least), and accompanied by an equally ambiguous four-legged companion. But they all come together to create whimsical scenes and compositions. The attention to detail within individual pieces is quite stunning – while the forms appear easy enough to multiply and mass produce, Kisoo’s precision in recreating the forms by hand is evident – the pieces all follow certain rules (for example, all the blossoms in the works are oriented like compasses, with the petals all consistently pointed in the four cardinal directions) but there is room for infinite variation within those guidelines.
Further researching the current exhibition of Kisoo’s works in the Flowers Gallery in New York, I found two pieces not included in the Flavorwire article: A Blow off Day Are You? And Blow Off Meditation. They vary the most from the other Dongguri paintings because they lack the implied landscape, replaced by whimsical lines which support the Dongguri. The slow, undulating ‘ground’ reminded me most of Dr.Suess. From Deep Black is also a variant, being grounded by a variety of colored cubes, reminiscent of The Matrix. And Would You Wait for Me 2 features the Dongguri standing on a miniaturized planet-scape, fraught with holes from which colorful bamboo shoot forth. Within all these variants Kisoo maintains the underlying mood and graphic, yet whimsy appearances of thegroup of works.


The Dongguri paintings are in a sense, multi functional - while they may be criticized as being 'too commercial'(Kisoo has already created a line of clothing and other products based on the works) that may not necessarily be a bad thing. From the standpoint of modernization, it means that Kisoo's work is accessible to a broad audience: persons who buy the products and view the artwork online, in addition those who may view his work in person. And the 'commercial nature' of the work does not detract from its other qualities.
Another criticism of the Kisoo's paintings is that they are not in fact art, but illustration work. My question is, "in what way?" according to Princeton University's WordNet database, illustration is defined as "artwork that helps make something clear or attractive". While the Dongguri paintings are inspired by Korean landscapes, the scenery itself is still visually ambiguous. The geometric and graphic style actually emphasizes a fantasy atmosphere. There is also no 'clear message' Kisoo tries to communicate; rather, there are theme which loosely suggest his viewpoints on current issues like the environment and materialism, but in viewing the work, these come second.
Previously I've had no experience or knowledge of Kwon Kisoo or his work, but finding it for this assignment has actually led me to become very interested and excited about the Dongguri paintings. Unfortunately the exhibition at the Flowers gallery in New York ends this week (October 2nd), but hopefully sometime in the future I’ll get the chance to see these works in person. In the meantime I’ve changed my Google homepage to the free Dongguri theme.

Narwhals Are No Laughing Matter

A class assignment. hopefully it is as obscene as it is nonsensical - I like to think that the two balance each other out. And describe me in the process.

Value Nonsense!

from class.

Andy by ~yokotei on deviantART
homework.

Rick by ~yokotei on deviantART
i'll think of something witty next time.

Freshman Lecture Review

This Week, Candy Depew talked about stuff. Most of Which had nothing to do with the studio.

Things i liked:
1. All of her work was eyecatching. especially the calcite skulls.
2. She does a lot of collaborations. and had interesting stories about them.
3. She had a lot of cool places that she visited, to talk about.

Some of the installations and work she did were fascinating, However, by 11:15 or thereabouts, she only mentioned a few things about her 'studio model', the apprentice system. i didn't feel as informed as i did entertained, but after 45 minutes the novelty wore thin.

Text Art

representational, nonrepresentational, and emotional/onomatopoeia drawings. but i forgot the latter so i did a picture of my friend instead. XD
cricket by ~yokotei on deviantART
I like how dA frames look, but here's a picasa slideshow to amuse Sam...

Contour Line Drawings.

the firts one, after attempting to edit for more contrast

Contour Line-me by ~yokotei on deviantART

the second one, which i didn't edit half as much


Contour 2 by ~yokotei on deviantART

process and sketches:
my secret was taking pictures of the frontal perspective in order to do the forshortening on the legs. :)

Freshman Lecture Review

Things I liked this week:
1. Peter Hanley's Mohawk. Not often you see a dude whose obviously over 30, has a Mohawk and doesn't look awful. Double props for an bilateral symmetry.
2. Prezi saw this program in use a few weeks ago while undercover with some friends, and i must say, it is very aesthetically pleasing, and feels a lot more efficient than powerpoint.
3. The Studio not as a location but as a state of mind, per say - I feel like i'm starting to get a sense of this living here on campus. It's not like i can work in the room, there's not enough space, and too many distractions. In Peabody's basement studio, i'm probably just as distracted, but it's an inspiring kind of distraction, because there's room to spread out, and like-minded individuals ( collaborators, per say) with which to share ideas, and from whom to get pre-critiques (I say pre-critique because they help you prepare for the big ones in class.)

I didn't feel that Hanley was as strong of a speaker as Blahn or Girard, but that's alright because the most important thing they are bringing to the table here is their ideas. and it was kind of amusing that his digital presentation was very conversational, in the sense that him talking and his writing sound pretty much the same.

Next week : some lady whose name escapes me!

~Peabody RHSA Elections~

Hey Peabodies (and whoever else stumbles across this),
Here are some answers to Questions you might have about me/the election/the meaning of life:
Who the [Expletive] are you? Nicole Micheletti, currently holing up in Room 216 of Peabody Hall. Currently a freshman, BFA at the Tyler School of Art.
What in the World do you think you're doing? Running for Senator at Large for Peabody's Residence Hall Senate Association ( think the 'Senate' is left out of the name from time to time).
...Why?(Are you running) I think this would be a great way to get to know Everyone, and be involved in our cool little ecosystem.
So, you don't get out much? working on it...
What is RHA? They decide on cool events and stuff we throw here at Peabody! And Outside of it but involving Peabodies! And i'm not clear on the details yet otherswise, but in short: we make your life fun.
and what do Senators do anyway? To Quote the Official RHA paperwork:

The Senator at Large is a non-executive position that serves as the active voice for the residents residing in particular residence halls. These members hold veto power in efforts of representing the best interests for their residents. Furthermore, Senators at Large shall be Responsible for communicating projects and programs to the residential community in addition to seeking out attendance at general assembly meetings.

What's in it for me? Fun and community-ness and your new best friend(me). But I won't try to take the place of your old best friends, I swear.
Cool, so when/where do I vote? TODAY! ( Monday Sept 13) At the front desk downstairs!
Will there be cake? Next time we get together, i will bake you a cake.
What's a 'yokotei'? That's my Internet Moniker of Choice. You can't has.
How do I know you're a Real person? Friend me on Facebook (which i never ever check but i will, just for you) where my name is backwards, or check out my crappy and neglected DeviantArt page. or come say hi! I'm in Room 216 or the basement usually. because i don't get out much.

~Nicole Micheletti

Freshman Lecture Review

things i enjoyed about last weeks lecture:
1. Phillip Blahn was seriously entertaining; an engaging speaker and had an awesome accent! I studied german for a few years in high school and kind of regret that i didn't keep up with it (had to choose between that and art class) but it's still fun to listen to people who are german, speak it and mix the language with their english, because occasionally i understand what they mean without having to think too hard about it.
2. The Bauhaus Structure I didn't understand exactly what a Bauhaus was until this lecture ; I've come across it researching Robert Raushenberg Last Spring (he attended Black Mountain College, which under the direction of Josef Albers was in the fashion of the Bauhaus) but didn't really understand what it meant. something to do with architecture or studio space? this talk really shed some light on the subject for me, and actually got me excited about the structure of the school. however, i don't feel it is practical for me personally, or to restructure Tyler with the Bauhaus model - it would interrupt the flow of things, for sure.
3. Modernism I had no idea where this movement started!I thought it was an offshoot of Art Deco (though i'm still under the impression that this was a movement in the realm of Decor and architecture - where do those lines meet?) but this totally shed some light on the matter for me. Like the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, there's a definite sense of utility, while still being almost ahead of it's time and therefore without time. it's complicated.

next time- Peter Hanleys take on Studios ( or lack thereof)

Read-Write Culture, Copyright, and You

One phrase I have been reconsidering lately: "Intellectual Property", and maybe even "Artistic License". They're vaguely synonymous, right?
Since we watched Larry Lessig's TED talk on Creativity and Copyright Laws in class, I've thought about what it means to own something that is available on the internet. If somebody takes your 'work' or property and distributes it in it's original form, then what rights should the original owner have over it? I'm not even sure. It feels as if the 'professional' circles that generate media should be subject to the idea of 'fair use'; but as the same time when an amateur's work is used 'with permission' for commercial purposes, it feels equally wrong and if you look at it this way, the logical ( but not necessarily satisfactory) conclusion is mutual exlcusion. in short, i don't really know which side to join.
back in 2007 when the internet meme, or fad, known as "rickrolling" came into popularity, there was much talk about whether or not Rick astley, the original artist of the song, might release remixes or some other ploy with which to seek a profit from the revival of popularity of his song. he had this to say about it in an interview with the la times:

“I don’t really know whether I want to be doing that[cash in on Rickrolling],” he said. “ I’m not being an ageist, but it’s almost a young person’s thing, that.”

Finished Sheepy

Sheepy by ~yokotei on deviantART

First Assignment of the Semster for Drawing.
What a great excuse to plug my Deviantart account too. Or Something.

Sonntag Nachmittag das Abenteuer

aka the Sunday Afternoon Adventure!



This past Sunday I had a dilemma - I was up very late working on my piece for Drawing class, but it was on Newsprint (The runt of the paper litter) and that Just Would Not Do. Mostly Because Rubens ( my teacher...professor...instructor? whatever you call them in university) had said to use good paper, which i obviously had not. Now the following morning (still Sunday) I was regretting my decision to use this paper, and decided to go down to Utrecht to get something more substantial.(see last post for the drawing in question)
At the same time I was running out of yarn for a project I'm doing in my spare time, and the only place in the city I know/like that stocks it is Rosie's Yarn Cellar. And for the hell of it, I wanted to check out other yarn stores along South Street.
So I ended up taking the bus to the Convention Center - not South Street- only to check a Walk Philadelphia map and realize I need to go eight more blocks.
So I headed south, looking for the address to Nangellini and ended up around The Hospital at UPenn - on Spruce Street, not South Street - and asked for directions.
Finally I made it to Nangellini - on South Street - and ogled yarn, but since they didn't have what I needed, I moved on. However, They sell other awesome clothes/knitting related stuff/art, so once I figure out how to ride the bus this'll be my new favorite store. :)
My next Destination was Loop, a yarn shop in the Rittenhouse District - twelve blocks away, but on South Street - I walked the whole way across and saw some hilarious things, inlucding Harry's Occult Supplies and some street art. Loop was like a very modern boutque, but for yarn. unfortunately they didn't have what I need either; that's all I have to say about that. So I moved on to Rosie's. And of course, exactly what i needed was right on the shelf, so soon as I walked in the door.
I went to Utrecht afterward to get my paper, and congratulated myself for a Mission Accomplished by getting myself a Chai Latte (aka Nectar of the Gods) form Dunkin Donuts, and went and sipped it in Rittenhouse Square.
fin

progress shots still life

drawing foundations, first assignment of the semester.

First Memory, or a Long-Anticipated Incident of Deja-Vu

It's kind of funny (to me at least) that my earliest memory should be something that never really happened, but nonetheless it is just that. The farthest back i can remember is a nightmare i had when i was still in diapers. The scenery was reminiscent of the Sing-along videos that were my television du jour: a astro-turf colored field with flat plastic tulips, against a flat gray-blue sky. but unlike the flat stages of WeeSing!the field seemed to go on forever. i know this because i was running across it, trying to escape the clutches of the Easter Bunny. He Hopped after me, surely plotting to eat me or turn me into chocolate eggs. i ran until i woke up.

now where does the Deja Vu come into play? well, in march of 1998, i was six years old and my mother's current place of employment ( Robert Wood Johnson Hospital) was hosting an Easter egg hunt. and i was all but thrilled to find that the exact same Easter Bunny was residing over the event. I think my mother coerced me into posing for a picture. but i couldn't find it.
My mother and a coworker consorting with the Enemy.

Classy Classes classify Classiness

New Blog with the Purpose of keeping my Proffesional (ha!) and Personal lives separate. Though i'll probably mention my knitting a lot still.
So far I've been asked to blog for two classes! i was thinking about just using Chow Mein, but i felt this was more appropos to do.

more on the Title later. and class stuff of course.