Contemporary Art Endeavors : Ian Harvey and Koo Kyung Sook: Works on Paper

Koo Kyung Sook

Markings 14-2

Woodcut

2015

Shimo Center for the Arts is showing two artists who have been a huge influence to me as a student, painter, and creator. My professor and mentor Ian Harvey and his wife Koo Kyung Sook are peopel who I look up to immensely and consider friends. This weekend was their opening to their show titled Works on Paper. Saturday night at Shimo was a full house as students, friends, and faculty gathered in the small yet beautiful space.
I wasnt surprised to see that the gallery was small, because Ian had also said something about being worried about installing the large works in the small space. However, upon entering the space, I was impressed to see how well the work held up the space.

Koo Kyung Sook

Markings 14-1

Woodcut

2015

The way they install the work is really interesting as well, an art in itself. In a very sleek way, abandoning frames, Ian and Koo allow the work to stand off the wall by using heavy duty yet small magnets against metal brackets. If you look closely, you can see the very small metal magnet. I find it a very sleek way to install, and not distracting to the work.

Koo's work consisted of woodcut prints of what appear to be abstracted heads. These works really resonate with me because I too was exploring an idea of creating non representational portraits from drippings of paint for a while when I was finishing my undergraduate degree. After I was exploring this idea, being mentored by Ian, he then introduced me to his wife's interpretation of portraiture through her medium. I was immediately hooked.

Koo Kyung Sook

Markings 14-3

Woodcut

2015

Although I have strayed from the path of portraying any sort of "head", I still appreciate Koo's interest in identity. These heads seem to make me think about the "who". Who am I, who is it, and why? The existential emotion extending from from these prints fill me with a sense of wonder, while allowing me to be overwhelmed with texture and contrast.
Ian explained the method to me the other day when we talked. I am fairly familiar with woodcut prints, however I have not practiced with the medium at all. Some may not know, so i will briefly explain. In short, you create a relief out of the wood cut. Koo carves into the wood, then rolls the ink onto the block. After she does that she take the paper and essentially pounds it into the design she cut into the wood. She then will roll even more ink onto the wood, and do more and more layers. With all the layers, she creates the texture, the embossing. The texture on these works are so attractive. These images do not do it any sort of justice.

Koo Kyung Sook

Markings 15-1

Woodcut

2015

Markings 15-1 (detail)

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Ian Harvey

No. 157

Ink, acrylic, shellac, and oil

2016

Ian's work, and Ian's ideas, are very influential to me and my own work in the studio. Ian and I have communicated well when it comes to making work, and I have sought a lot of advice from him in my paintings. I remember when I had been in a few of Ian's classes, being mentored by him, and working through my issues in my work in 2014. I had not seen Ian's work until taking a few classes with him, and once I saw his work, it felt like everything clicked. All the ideas he had seemed to make sense with me and my work and I have continued to attempt at plowing through new ideas and finding my footing within my abstractions.
This painting No. 157 stood out to me the most in the show. Ian treats the material in a methodical way, while still allowing the medium to manifest on it's own. The painting has a strong sense of color, pattern, and line. I enjoy the transparencies and opacities. These qualities are things I am interested in in my own work. I found it funny when I looked at my own work when I got back to my studio that night to see my own painting with a similar color scheme. I had not seen this painting prior to starting my painting below.