Sep 23

Sep 23 INTERVIEW NEON ARTIST JUNG LE

Art, Culture, Photography, Creative People

Jung Lee, Once In a Lifetime, 2011, C-type Print, 136 x 170 cm

Jung Lee is known for her photographed series of text-based neon installations planted in the large deserted areas of Korea.

Selected exhibitions include a solo presentation at Frieze London in 2011, and participation in the 2010 Gwangju Biennale under the direction of Massimiliano Gioni. She has also shown at Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, the Seoul Museum of Art and Gwangju Museum of Art. Born in Seoul in 1972, she lives and works in Korea. Inspired by Barthes’s close reading of desire and love, Lee slows everything down patiently analyzing that most intense and overwhelming of states, unanswered desire - the language of complete love and the deep solitary state it throws the lover into. The result is a group of beautiful and melancholy empty landscape photographs, contrasting sentimental phrases such as “I still remember” and my favorite “How could you do this to me ?”.

Greatest inspirations or influences?

Edward Said. His book ‘Orientalism’ gave me the view of displacement that my art has been based on. I also love his autobiography ‘Out Of Place’. I often feel that the title is exactly about me.

Most interesting response to your work so far?

Someone said to me in the show, “I have been in love once in my lifetime.” That led me to work on another image ‘Once In A Lifetime’.

Favorite websites, or publications?

Blind Spot, European Photography, Packet, Camera Austria, Frieze and Art Forum

Anything else you would like to share with our audience?

When I was at art college, my tutor said, “If your work is right, something right should happen.” I agree. If you believe in your work, just work hard. Your patience will get rewarded sometime.