MinjaeLeeArtistResearchTeacherHandout

Circulation (2011) Mixed media on paper

Artist Quote “When I feel something I’ve never felt before, there is a new color palette inside me, bursting to get out,” Minjae Lee “I find inspiration in human face and abstract movement and color so when I draw people, it is on the spur of the moment, very spontaneous. I’m always experimenting with new materials and new ways to do things.” Minjae Lee Critic Quotes With marker and ink, Minjae Lee, a self-taught artist, layers bright, intricate patterns over female portraits. The images call to mind his South Korean heritage and push a contemporary aesthetic. –Hillary Casavant (30 under 30 article in Art Business News Magazine from 2013) “Minjae Lee is a young South Korean artist whose work expresses a semi-disturbing inner tension that is tough to ignore, even if you feel that you’d like to. It draws you in with its powerful colors, halting imagery and clever juxtaposition of beauty, innocence and fragility with brash, loud and aggressive. What characterizes his work overall is drama. The ethereal females that populate most of his work exude a dark, organic tension, and it seems that even the brightest marker colors do not quite manage to save them from some sort of looming peril. Or are we, the viewers, in fact, the ones who are in danger? Whatever the case, we are drawn in, interacting on an emotional level, surprised, looking for something

– Tuija Seipell

MinjaeLeeArtistResearchTeacherHandout

The Prayer behind the vail (2015) Magic Mirror (2007) Mixed media on paper Mixed media on paper Critical Study: Artwork Minjae Lee was not encouraged to do artwork when he was younger, and most of his teachers did not approve of his style of art. Yet he continued to create using bold and bright colors because he created his artwork for himself, even though he is trying to make his artwork more balanced today then he did in the past he wants to make sure he includes his own personality in the artwork. He uses real models at times and at others draws an idea of a person. The critique Seipell mentioned that his “work expresses a semi-disturbing inner tension that is tough to ignore, even if you feel that you’d like to.” While another critique Casavant mentions the South Korean heritage that he puts into his work. He creates his artwork by laying colors and textures over portraits that he also draws. The portraits are usually of women but not always. His work brings out questions of what is beauty, innocence, fragility, and lays mention to inner thoughts and expressions that may not be normally seen. Structural Frame: Describe what you see in one of the pictures above. What materials where used? How do the subjects in the pieces above change when they’ve been colored, painted, or collaged on top of? Do you think his work is influenced by his culture? Why/Why not? What colors does he use in the image? Why do you think he uses so many different colors and patterns? Do you see his work as busy or as balanced? Why/ Why Not? Cultural Frame: What is represented in these artworks? Who is represented in the artwork that his shown? Do you think he drew from a model or and idea of someone? What kind of beauty ideals does his work show? How do these beauty ideals reflect with those of his culture? Would that idea of beauty change greatly without the color and patterns? How? Would the beauty ideals be looked at more harshly or loosely if the artist was a woman?

MinjaeLeeArtistResearchTeacherHandout

Subjective Frame: Audience What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you look at his artwork? Would those be different if he was a woman? Who do you think are in the images? Do you think the images are from models or the idea of a person? What do each of the images make you feel? What do you think the subject feels? What kind of inner emotions and expressions are coming forth that may not be normally seen? Who do you think he made these images for? Who do you think he wants to view his artwork? Critical Study: World Minjae Lee develops his artwork drawing with pencil, pen, and markers. He draws a variety of different subjects but the majority of his subjects drawn look Caucasian. How do you think this affects the viewers of his artwork? His artwork as been viewed in many different places in the world because he has done work all over. Do you think his traveling affected the type of image he continues to create? Historical and Critical Studies: Artist Minjae Lee was born in South Korea on January 11, 1989, and has been working as a professional artist since he was 18 years old. He has had 7 exhibitions, and worked with many different people and companies throughout that time period. He is a self-taught artist, because his teachers did not want him to create, but that did not stop him. He travels the world to work but continues to live in South Korea.

Herieth, for Dazed and Confused, 2011 Gaze II(2007)

Maurizio Anzeri Minjae Lee Conceptual Frameworks: What do you think the artist considered art? Look at the two pieces of work by Maurizio Anzeri and Minjae Lee, who are both artists that overlay portraits. Minjae does it in drawing with marker, pen, and colored pencil. Maurizio Anzeri does this by embroidering photographs. Both of these men work with telling a story about the inner emotions and thoughts of their subjects. Do their genders make this seem weird to you considering the subjects depicted are women? For who do you think each artist made their work? How are their works similar/different? Do you think that Minjae could be affected by the artwork of Maurizio? How do you think each of these artist sees their own artwork?

MinjaeLeeArtistResearchTeacherHandout

Vocabulary: Color Palette— refers to a range of colors and your preference of colors Beauty— a combination of qualities, such as shape, color, or form, that pleases the aesthetic senses, especially the sight. Ethereal—Extremely delicate and light in a way that seems too perfect for this world Contemporary— Living occurring at the same time, belonging to or occurring in the present Portrait— a painting, drawing, photograph, or engraving of a person, especially one depicting only the head and shoulders. Art Making: Students will create a self portrait using shapes, patterns, and colors This may be done in numerous ways depending on the class. Start with a drawing of a self-portrait or picture printed Then draw over that picture using marker or colored pencils In doing so express an emotion or a part of their inner self with the color—Explained in an artist statement Begin questioning beauty ideals for men and women and what is aesthetically pleasing. http://www.emptykingdom.com/featured/ek-interview-minjae-lee/