Current Reading List

From my Instagram taken outside of the restroom at Alternative Space Loop in Seoul

“Pink Writing: P.R.C.-Based Publishing in English on Queer and Pot-Queer Issues” in Intersections: Gender and Sexuality in Asia and the Pacific (Issue 33, December 2013) by Maud Lavin

“Big Flesh, Big Emotions: Jenny Saville’s Paintings And Melissa McCarthy’s Comedy” in The Last Women’s Magazine by Maud Lavin

“The Politics of Identity for Korean Women Artists Living in Britain” in Third Text: Critical Perspectives on Contemporary Art and Culture by Beccy Kennedy

“Bargaining with Patriarchy” in Gender and Society (Sept. 1988) pp. 274-290 by Deniz Kandiyoti

Americanah by  Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Daily Rituals: How Artists Work by Mason Currey

“Giant cyborgs and miniature humanoids: male nudes in South Korean art” (Art Radar)

 

As a compliment to my article, “Supplementary Skins”, my most recent post for Art Radar Asia, “Giant cyborgs and miniature humanoids: male nudes in South Korean art” reviews work by Lee Yongbaek, Choi Xooang, Dongwook Lee, Hyungkoo Lee, and Kim Joon. See an excerpt below.

Korea is the male make-up capital of the world and cosmetic surgery for men is becoming increasingly prevalent. For business or for pleasure, Korean men are willing to augment their bodies through means beyond pumping iron and following a stringent diet. This sea change in attitude towards acceptable masculinity has not escaped national or international critical comment: Sun Jung’s book Korean Masculinities and Transcultural Consumption: Yosama, Rain, Oldboy, K-Pop Idols digs deeper into changing Korean masculinity, as does Stephen J. Epstein and Rachael M. Yoo’s article “Multiple Exposures: Korean Bodies and the Transnational Imagination.”

Sunday Morning Coffee [Things I’ve been meaning to read/write about]

Image of Young Jean Lee’s Untitled Feminist Show (source)

Article on Art Radar: nudity to challenge state corruption in China, an interview with Kimsooja (who represents South Korea in the Venice Biennale this year), an interview with Afghanistan’s first female street artist,  and finally, I was thrilled to see an article on Young Sun Han! Hang grew up outside of Chicago (and has since lived all over the world). I had the pleasure of meeting him last year. Some of his work addresses his North Korean heritage.

Last spring I had the privilege of seeing Young Jean Lee’s Untitled Feminist Show at the MCA in Chicago. The experience was shocking, liberating, energizing, and hands down the most intelligent and provoking work I’ve seen on a stage. I also saw a talk with Lee before the performance and met her briefly afterwards, she was humble, intelligent, and gracious. This week I was thrilled to see a piece about her “We’re Gonna Die” on the New York Times. Here’s a clip about it on NYT (I love that the next clip is about Avenue Q) and Lee’s Viemo stream.

I always enjoy immersive art via DesignBoom.

Have you heard of the Museum of Old and New Art in Tasmania? The name of the museum doesn’t revel the content of the collection: sex and death. Here’s an article about it from the New Yorker.

Doosan Gallery in Seoul just opened the exhibition The Next Generation. Someone go take a peak for me!

Five films for those who are involved in the arts via Art Radar. I show Un chien Andalou to my students the second day of class!

Hazel Dooney on the gallery system.

Some portraits on DesignBoom: Kim Jong Il framed in pink,  colorful x-rays, and lego heads.

A little bit of nepotism, my sister just moved to England and started a new blog to document the experience with her stunning photography and marvelous writing. She used to write here.

Sunday Morning Coffee

Hyungkoo Lee, Image from The Objectuals

I finally have an email sign-up for this blog! To receive an email when I make a blog post go about half way down on the sidebar on the right side and enter your email address! My goal is to have 100 subscribers.

My friend and MAVCS grad Meredith Kooi was interviewed by Caroline Picard on Bad at Sports. “The Liminal Space of Self: An Interview with Meredith Kooi”–click here to read it! Meredith is incredibly insightful and her work is fascinating.

A fun(ny) work break: SAT vocabulary test based on The Hunger Games. I’m embarrassed to say I missed one.

This image reminds me of Miru Kim’s work. It is from the article “A Chicken Without Guilt” on NY Times.

Mark your calendars! On April 6 at Autumn Space in Chicago the second year MAVCS student will host a reception to celebrate our final exhibition. Tomorrow I’m doing a series of test-installations for the next iteration of Body Project which will be my contribution to the exhibition.