Jeong Won LEE
Dream on Geumgang 1
Mixed media
72.7*72.7cm
2023
My recent works are created from a bird’s-eye perspective, depicting the landscape of the “Baekdudaegan,” the great mountain spine that forms the main artery of Korea’s mountain ranges. Each mountain possesses its own unique beauty, yet when they gather together, they reveal certain repetitive forms and structural patterns, allowing us to perceive underlying principles. Based on the ridgelines that serve as watersheds, countless streams branch out and flow downward, and within these basins, ecosystems—including human life—are formed and sustained.
“(Compressed and folded) paper” as a medium has become the central focus of my inquiry: whether it is possible to approach the vast vitality of nature through this material. Although the physical properties of compressed paper cannot replicate the flexibility, delicacy, or tonal variations of traditional brushwork, its rough texture and inherent three-dimensionality offer a different way to evoke the tangible presence of rocks and trees. The small pieces of paper attached to the surface create a sense of flow depending on their direction, and when viewed from different angles, they can even generate optical effects.
Recently, I have come to realize that what matters more than depicting the subject itself is the act of approaching it. To paint a hundred rocks, I must cut and attach countless pieces of paper, spray pigment, and repeat brushstrokes endlessly. What do these repetitive actions mean to me? Naturally, these processes require long periods of preparation, including mountain climbing experiences and accumulated sketches. Just as innumerable elements come together to form a single rock, I believe that only through attaching thousands of paper fragments and executing tens of thousands of brushstrokes can one truly welcome the presence of the mountain.
“True-view landscape painting” does not refer to an actual depiction of scenery, but rather to the underlying principles that constitute the landscape—the true essence of mountains and waters. Mountains do not easily reveal their true form. Through continuous “exploration within the mountain,” if one is able to gain even a small insight, then the meaning of painting transcends the creation of a final image. Instead, it lies in the deeper significance discovered through the creative act and process itself.