Artist Research Paperwork

Mrs. C-Harvey

Date 1/22/17

AP studio art

Artists Full Name: Dongwook Lee

Date of Birth: 1976
Place of Birth: Seoul, South Korea

Primary type of artwork (example: painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking,

ceramics etc. )
Sculpture

Media (What materials were predominately in this artists work?)

Mixed media (polymer clay and other objects)

Style or art period most associated with the artists

Surrealism, Hyperrealism

Please list in complete sentences personal/interesting information on the artist.

Include education, influences, experiences etc.
Lee Dongwook lives and works in Seoul, South Korea, where he creates
mostly miniature polymer clay figures with concepts that revolve around
human existence and life. His sculptures, despite being small, are hyper
realistic and sometimes gory. His work always has an eerie but fantastical
feeling to it that arises from the blank faces of his figures and their
strange circumstances. He has an MFA and BFA in Painting from Hongik
University in Seoul, and has exhibited in the US, Switzerland, Sweden,
Germany, the UK, and more.
Sources
http://www.arariogallery.co.kr/
http://www.lostateminor.com/2014/02/21/disturbing-bloody-sculptures-korean-artistdongwook-lee/
http://www.cvltnation.com/the-disturbing-twisted-sculptures-of-dongwook-lee/
http://www.akive.org/eng/artist/artworks/A0000028/Dongwook%20Lee

http://www.juxtapoz.com/news/the-disturbing-sculptures-of-dongwook-lee/
http://hifructose.com/2014/02/20/the-disturbing-tiny-sculptures-of-dongwook-lee/

Critiques

good boy, 2012, mixed media, 20 x 120 x 80 cm

Description: This piece is a sculpture atop a white, flat surface and an assortment
of rounded white pillars. On top of the tallest pillar stands a naked man, who has a
white rope tied around his neck that extends to connect with the ceiling, almost like
a noose. On each of the other pillars and on the lowest surface of the piece are
dogs. They are all different breeds and all seem to be at ease. Each dog wears a
collar that is then connected to the man via a leash, and all of the dogs leashes
create an intricate web leading up to the handles in the mans hands. The man is
pink and fleshy, and appears to have a tattoo of wings on his chest, while the dogs
have furry textures and neutral colored coats.
Analysis: The lines of the leashes create movement that draw the viewers eye to
the different dogs and, ultimately, up to the man. The triangular composition of the
piece, with the juxtaposition of the busyness of the lower part of the piece to the
lack at the top, emphasizes the role of the man. The bright white rope and surfaces
contrast the muted neutral colors of the dogs and ropes, emphasizing the rope and

pillars. The form of the dogs and the man show relaxed body language, and the
mans face does not communicate any particular emotion.
Interpretation: I think that this piece is about roles in todays society. Man, being
the more powerful and advanced species, has placed itself above other creatures
such as dogs. We think so highly of ourselves, almost to the point of ruling over
other species, that we even dictate which dog breeds are better than others
(hence the varying levels of the pedestals). The leashes are all connected for the
dogs because humans have bred them, creating one breed from another, until the
Beagle or Rottweiler looked and performed the way we wanted them to. We, as
humans, have control over these creatures. But, as the white rope around the mans
neck indicates, we do not control ourselves. I believe that the white rope serves a
religious purpose, to show that God (or even just religious belief) is what controls us.
The mans nudity may also be an allusion to Adam and Eve. The fact that the rope
and pillars are the same color may suggest that how we control what is below us,
and which of those creatures has more value, is decided by God/religion. The wings
on the mans chest suggest that he may have marked himself as holy. I think that
this piece forces the viewer to consider why we, as humans, sit where we do in the
cycle of Earths organisms, and whether it was by our own power or the power of a
larger force.
Judgment: I think that this piece has lasting importance because it communicates
a complex concept through a sculpture that is easy to read and provokes thought.
The pyramid/food chain-like composition that is created by the tangling of the
leashes is reminiscent of simple biology, but the white noose on the mans neck
tacks a question mark to the viewers initial interpretation. I believe that anyone,
religious or not, will take a moment to ponder the natural setting of our world and
whether or not it was decided by someone other than us. This piece makes the
viewer ask themselves Why us? What decided that we would sit on the tallest
pillar, instead of the dogs?

Real, 2006, mixed media, 3 x 12 x 3 cm

Description: This is a hanging sculpture of two men kissing. Both men are bald and
nude and bound with their feet and knees together and arms behind their backs.
Where their ankles meet is also tied to their forearms. The same rope that has
bound them is hanging them from the ceiling. One man is hanging above the other,
with his feet higher than his head. The other man appears to be connected to the
former man only through their kiss. Despite being tied up; the latter mans rope
does not connect to the man above him. It seems that only through their embrace
does the second man continue to hang underneath his lover.
Analysis: The white rope, both through the tension it creates against the mens
flesh, and the contrast of its color to their pale and pink bodies, zigzags the viewers
eye across the piece. The vertical line-like composition also creates vertical
movement. The large amount of negative space surrounding the rounded, bald
heads and their kiss emphasizes the embrace and brings the viewers attention to
the fact that it is what joins the two figures. The fact that there isnt any rope
connecting the two makes the lower man seem to play an important role. The hyper
realistic textures of the mens fleshy bodies and the taut rope against them make
the piece feel constricting and uncomfortable to look at. Their nudity and the slight
pink color of their skin gives the piece a very haunting vibe, as if we are seeing the
depiction of a hostage situation.
Interpretation: I think that this piece is about difficult love, partly because of the
choice to use two men instead of a man and a woman, and because of the
importance of their kiss. To me, it tells a story of two men who are trying to love
each other in a world that is forcing them to fit a different, more accepted societal
standard of love. This is represented through the fact that they are tied up so
tightly, rendering them completely helpless. But for some people, sacrifices must be
made in order to love one another. The latter man could have a chance at freedom
but he clings to the one he loves and suffers with him.
Judgment: I think that this piece will have lasting importance as long as peoples
love is not accepted. I believe that it depicts how it feels to suffer for love, but to
still choose love despite the pain. It makes people uncomfortable to look at, and it
should, because no one should have to suffer for a love that doesnt hurt anyone
else. Lee Dongwook does a memorable job of putting any person in the shoes of
someone who has to fight against the ties of society to be with who they want.

Other works

Wen B-29, 2010, mixed media, 14 x 10 x 6.5 cm

Fearless, 2013, polymer clay, oil, plastic, stone, wood

Fountain, 2013, polymer clay, mixed media, 19 x 6 x 16 cm

Pooh, 2013, mixed media, 16 x 16 x 35 cm

Untitled, 2012, mixed media, wall piece 70(h) x 30 x 95 cm, floor piece 35.5 x 41 x
36 cm

Useful Man, 2013, polymer clay, mixed media, 14.5 x 6 x 6 cm