Kwang-Young Chun: Aggregations, new work Sept. 12 - Dec. 23, 2009 Korean artist Kwang-Young Chun (b. 1944) began work on his series of Aggregations in the 1990s. Today, he is recognized internationally for these sculptural forms. The basis of his work is individual, triangular, Styrofoam shapes. Individually, these shapes are minuscule. Taken together, however, their visual impact is immense. This concept of the aggregate is what informs Chun's work. The Styrofoam shapes are covered in Korean mulberry paper. In Korea, the paper is a mainstay and has many utilitarian uses from floor and window coverings to candy and medicinal wrappers. It also resonates with personal meaning for the artist, who recalls trips to an herbalist as a small child. Medicines wrapped in mulberry paper hung from the ceiling of the shop, the paper protecting the contents from dampness and insects. Chun uses pages recycled from old books to cover the geometric forms. These pages are covered in Korean and Chinese characters, adding another layer of cultural and personal meaning. He hand ties the paper over each shape, twisting pages into string to complete the wrapping. In this way Chun is able to integrate traditional materials into a contemporary context. After starting his artistic career studying western painting, in particular Abstract Expressionism, Chun turned to the mulberry paper as a way to express his unique, Korean artistic voice. The papers, taken from books that are often as old as one hundred years, have been touched by people from all walks of life. Over the years, these people – men and women, young and old – have left indelible fingerprints. Chun captures the spirit of these people and their varied voices in his series of Aggregations. Aggregation 08-AU022 is Chun's largest sculptural work to date and measures almost fourteen feet high. It premiered at the Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Ridgefield, Connecticut, earlier this year. The sculpture gives the overall appearance of being monolithic, yet upon closer inspection the intricacies of material, shape, shade, and hue become apparent. Similarly, the wall reliefs included in this exhibition are an examination of texture and shape. The individual pieces come together to create surfaces that resemble topographies and landscapes. Separately, they appear organic in shape, resembling crystals or rocks. The surfaces of the sculpture and the wall reliefs are irregular and highly textured, layered with meaning. Chun brings both the positive and the negative to his works. Dark, shadowed shapes give the appearance of a scar or wound, while lighter surfaces counterbalance these elements. His work is often influenced by historical or political events that have shaped people's lives and experiences. Subtle color is integrated into some of the wall pieces from natural dyes, which are often plant based. Chun dips the individual triangle shapes into the dye and the mulberry paper absorbs the color. The wall reliefs included in this exhibition have not previously been seen in the United States. Kwang-Young Chun received his BFA from Hong-Ik University, Seoul, and his MFA from the Philadelphia College of Art. His work has been exhibited extensively on an international level, including in Moscow, Singapore and Paris. The National Museum of Contemporary Art in Korea named him Artist of the Year in 2001 and he is represented by Robert Miller Gallery, New York. Funded in part by the National Advisory Board of the UW Art Museum and the Wyoming Arts Council through the Wyoming State Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes a great nation deserves great art. Images: TOP - Installation view of Aggregation 002-MA101B at the UW Art Museum CENTER - Kwang-Young Chun (Korean, b. 1944), Aggregation 08-AU022 (detail), 2008, mixed media, 14 ft x 8 ft diameter, photo courtesy of Aldrich Museum of Art BOTTOM - Kwang-Young Chun, Aggregation 08-AU022, 2008, mixed media, 14 ft x 8 ft diameter, photo courtesy of Aldrich Museum of Art