커버아트의 거장 로저딘 전시 리뷰

Eyes on Dean's fantasy world

 

"Morning Dragon" by Roger Dean in 1984 [Roger Dean]

Dragons fly and islands float in Roger Dean's paintings.

The British artist, one of the greatest in the music album cover art field, enjoys creating fantasy-like scenes with waterfalls that never go dry, comical devils swarming in hell or mystical woods and jungles.

If the recent mega-hit movie "Avatar" comes to your mind as you look at Dean's works - most of them were created about 30 years before the movie was made - you are sharing the same thoughts as hundreds of thousands of others.

Even before the movie was released, people joined an online forum, raising questions about whether the movie plagiarized Dean's work. The figure grew enormously soon after the movie came out.

Many American lawyers called Dean to offer to take the case. Now rumors are spreading that Dean is preparing a lawsuit.

The 65-year-old artist, however, was careful with his words.

"At this time, I cannot talk about 'Avatar.' I'll just say that I was extremely grateful that there were so many people that recognized the similarity. I didn't know so many would remember and recognize my works," said Dean at a press conference last Wednesday.

Those in Seoul are in luck, because the original paintings of the controversial works are on display at the exhibition "Dragon's Dream" currently running at the Daelim Contemporary Art Museum in Tongui-dong, central Seoul.

This is Dean's first show in Korea and the largest ever displaying about 150 works, including those that have never been exhibited before.

"To my embarrassment, he (exhibition curator Seong Si-wan) even managed to find things I thought were long hidden," Dean said.

Dean moved house a lot in his youth, following his father who was an engineer for the British army. He had many colorful experiences, especially in Hong Kong, and cultivated a fascinating sense of imagination.

The first job he got in 1968 after finishing his design studies at Canterbury School of Art and later at the Royal College of Art was not related to cover art. He was to renovate the interior of a burnt-down jazz club. But this, unexpectedly, led to his first album cover job.

"The interior job had to be done within three weeks because there was a BBC broadcast scheduled there and there would be a huge penalty if it wasn't done. So I did it based on a design I already had in my sketchbook. They were really pleased with the result and asked me if they could have it as an album cover. It was Gun's," said Dean.

This "intriguing" job led to another and before he realized it, Dean had become a famous album cover artist who would work with many rock bands of the 1970s such as Yes, Uriah Heep and Asia.

Dean's surrealistic illustrations were a great fit for the supernatural image the progressive bands had at the time. The illustrations were usually created after long hours of discussion with band members.

"I talk with the band about what idea they want to be using. I'm not reinterpreting the music. I listen to what they say and I value what they say," said Dean.

He confessed, however, that he rarely listened to all the music on the album he worked on.

"Once, I spent a week with a band in Vancouver and they played their song for me over and over again. But l still don't even remember which song it was," he said, chuckling.

Dean's original works are now a popular collection for museums and a bestseller at art auctions. The work "Relayer," for example, goes for over $2.5 million (3 billion won) in the U.S. art market.

"Basically, I only paint three to five paintings a year. So when I sell them it's a great honor. But I definitely feel happier when millions of people can actually see and buy my albums, books and posters," he said.

Other than album covers, visitors can also find various logos and labels by Dean, such as the one he created for the familiar game Tetris, at the exhibition.

The exhibition runs through June 6 at Daelim Contemporary Art Museum in Tongui-dong, central Seoul. Tickets range from 1,000 won to 5,000 won. For more information, call (02) 720-0667 or visit www.daelimmuseum.org

(claire@heraldm.com)

By Park Min-young

[손으로 말하다] Shows take a closer look at hands

2009.3.12

---

They are too familiar to take notice of, and too common to think highly of. But hands are one of the most expressive and powerful things that humans possess.

And two exhibitions in central Seoul are taking a closer look them.

At Daelim Contemporary Art Museum in Tongi-dong, well-known U.S. art collector Henry Buhl is exhibiting his collection of hand-themed works under the title "The Buhl Collection: Speaking with Hands."

About 150 pieces of photographs and sculptures by 136 artists including Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso and Auguste Rodin are on show. Works of Korean artists No Sang-gyun and Seo Do-ho are also included.

Born into a wealthy Detroit family in 1930, Henry Buhl was able to collect art rather easily with his inheritance. Starting from the piece "Hands with a Thimble" by Alfred Stieglitz, Buhl now owns a hand-themed collection of over 1,000 works.

"He did not only collect hand-themed works, but he was actually a man famous for his helping hands," said Ryan Russo, curator of the exhibition.

After working for many years as a Wall Street financial expert, Buhl established SoHo Partnership, which helps homeless people find jobs, and The Buhl Foundation, which supports young artists through scholarships.

The exhibition "Speaking with Hands" has been held in other countries prior to the Seoul show.

"People all over the world loved the exhibition because a hand is a very universal theme. Everyone has it, and everyone can feel sympathy towards it," said Elga Wimmer, another curator of the exhibition.

At the Guggenheim Museum exhibition in New York in 2004, the exhibits were divided according to the meanings of the hands, such as merciful hands or saving hands. At the Seoul exhibition, however, the collection is displayed in chronological order.

Depending on the time, space and of course its owner, each hand shows a unique expression. Some shout in joy, some allure, some destroy, and some give hope.

The exhibition is also a chance to see the hands of famous figures such as Jean Cocteau, Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Henry Moore, and Mother Teresa.

If the Henry Buhl collection features actual hands, the exhibition "The Great Hands" running at Gallery Hyundai spotlights unbelievable works done by meticulous hands.

Seeing the exhibits of 17 Korean artists, viewers are likely to be lost in admiration.

Hundreds of tiny Swarovsky diamonds are embroidered on a black canvas, making an image of a Buddha. In another work, thousands of colorful acrylic paint dots are dropped on the canvas through an injector to make a big image of a sweater.

Lee Jae-hyo bended nails and clumped them together to turn them into a chair-like sculpture. Jeong Gwang-sik delicately carved a gigantic piece of black Granite into a landscape painting.

"These works required an amazing amount of labor," said Koh Hee-kyeong, curator of the exhibition.

"There are some contemporary artists today who rely on a single sparkling idea without making arduous efforts. This exhibition will make viewers have second thoughts on what the role of an artists' hand is, and what the true meaning of art is," she said.

"The Buhl Collection: Speaking with Hands" runs through May 24 at Daelim Contemporary Art Museum in Tongi-dong, central Seoul. The museum is closed on Mondays. Tickets are 4,000 won for adults and 2,000 won for youth. For more information, call (02) 727-0667 or visit www.daelimmuseum.org

"The Great Hands" runs through April 5 at Gallery Hyundai in Sagan-dong, central Seoul. The museum is closed on Mondays. For more information, call (02) 2287-3500 or visit www.galleryhyundai.com

By Park Min-young

(claire@heraldm.com)

[사진작가 주명덕] Photographer casts critical gaze at cities

2008.12.1

---

Half of the world's population lives in cities.

Giant screens replay the same advertisement over and over, gray buildings block the sunlight and flashy neon signs annoy people everyday.

In the exhibition "Cityscape," at Daelim Contemporary Art Museum in Tongui-dong, photographer Joo Myung Duck exhibits the results of his critical scrutiny of the city. His 75 photos reveal the hidden vanity of cities, where advertising seems to control the unconsciousness of urbanites but offers nothing of value.

Joo is a renowned Korean photographer who has been shooting photos for more than 45 years. He is famous for his documentary photos that focus on crucial social issues and disappearing cultural heritages.

"Mr. Holt's Orphanage," his exhibition in 1996, displayed photos of war orphans. These first documentary photos by a Korean photographer created a great sensation, when most photos taken in Korea were elegant indoor shots.

This time, Joo spotlights cityscapes, perhaps to raise alarm over how big and vain cities have become. The exhibition displays cityscapes from various spots in Seoul such as Gwanghwamun and Yeouido, as well as Ilsan, where he lives.

"Yeouido," Joo Myung Duck, Type C-print, 2008 Joo Myung Duck

"Joo tried to show the beautiful sides of our cities as well, but we can easily find his critical views," said Park Ju-seok, a professor of photography at Myongji University and the director of this exhibition at the press conference last Tuesday. "He seems to think of this city as not a real one but rather a virtual one built with overflowing images and media," Park said.

Not surprisingly, Joo's cityscapes are packed with buildings and neon signs. Advertisements of beautiful women, icons produced by mass media, throw luring glances to nowhere, masking a reality that lies beneath the veneer.

"Advertisements are almost like a religion these days," said Joo. "It seems as if Seoul is practically invaded by them."

Joo's way of criticizing is quiet but powerful. He takes a step backwards and records the city from a certain distance, most passers-by would see it. By sharing this point of view, viewers can more easily understand what Joo meant to say.

Daelim Contemporary Art Museum will hold two more exhibitions of Joo's work focusing on people's homes in 2009 and 2010. Joo's work can still be found there after that, since the museum plans to collect all his work and records to establish a Joo Myung Duck archive.

"We are up to this task, which has a very significant meaning in the history of Korean photography," said Park.

The exhibition runs through Jan. 18 at Daelim Contemporary Art Museum in central Seoul. Tickets are 4,000 won for adults and 2,000 won for students. For more information, call (02) 720-0667 or visit www.daelimmuseum.org

By Park Min-young

(claire@heraldm.com)