[임영균: 백남준] NAM JUNE PAIK, NOW HERE

[임영균 백남준 사진전 LIM YOUNG KYUN] NAM JUNE PAIK, NOW HERE

2GIL29 Gallery is pleased to present <NAM JUNE PAIK, NOW HERE> a solo exhibition by the Photography LIM YOUNG KYUN (b.1955) from May 9 to 25, 2019. He is often referred to first-generation photographer, who is insightful and able to read the time seeking for an essence beneath an external appearance. His work is rather calm, decent and meditative than instant and sensitive inspiration. He closely looks into a strength that characters in his work has and captures it with a thorough insight, which is indeed a process of exploring a nature of character facing an existence. Taking a close look into the existence in an ever-changing moment is no other than witnessing a truth of momentariness in the perpetual time stretched away into infinity and capturing spirituality beyond an outward form. His works, Haenam,Korea,1999, was chosen as one of significant photo works of 30 in the history of photograph in 20thc and were presented at Kodak Museum, where has almost started with a birth of photography and is regarded to be synonymous with a history of photograph. And he showed a strong presence selected as the only Asian artist taking rank with the photo journalist, Walker Evans, Angel Adams, Marie Ellen who are world-famous photographers. Recently, he had the celebratory exhibition of its new collection of 2018 in DMA(Daejeon Museum of Art), DMA 2018 New Acquisitions.

Nam June Paik in his Studio, New York,
Lim Young Kyun (B.1955) Nam June Paik in his Studio, New York, 1983, Gelatin silver print, 50 x 60 cm

Published in the New York Times, January, 1984

Early on the worldly renowned video artist Nam Jun Paik, who created a new paradigm solely grafting the eastern idea into the western idea while interacting with John cage and Joseph Beuys in the States, the center of contemporary art, said “An artistic photograph is an intention in mind to avoid an illusory image of photography trying to approach a substance. In that sense, Lim is the one playing a leading role in Korea” This exhibition vividly contains Nam Jun Paik’s chronicle in a vision of Lim Young Kyun as an artist. As he said one day, they met as an act of providence, which means they are more likely meant to meet not by chance but by destined relation at New York in 1982, since then they were together sharing the historical moments of Paik as an dependable artistic companion for 20 years. He recalls the unforgettable day of the first meeting with Paik like this. “ There were a great number of broken TV heaped up he picked up from the street on the corner of his studio.” As told, seemingly, Paik was already immersed in the genre of video art. On that day he rose to photograph Paik when he put on TV monitor captured by his overwhelming energy. And the photographed scene draw tremendous public attention, and it even became a cover of New Year issue’s section in New York Times in 1984, which was nothing but the moment to officially herald the beginning of history of Paik and him. Also, it came to reach a general consensus on the importance of the photo in a sense of history of photography, so when Paik passed away in 2006 it appeared in many news media when they reported the news of Paik.

In this year, there will be a major retrospective, Nam June Paik: The Future is Now, in Oct at Tate Modern Museum in the U.K. That forthcoming exhibition is a clear manifestation that Paik, who predicted the importance of mass media and new technology on the visual arts, and his experimental and innovative works have largely affected art and culture to this day. In that sense, this 2GIL29’s exhibition of Lim will more closely shed light on Paik through photos of Paik making him look more human taken by Lim with deep friendship, who had a close relation with him. And it will also feature Paik’s drawings, postcards, and a planning drawing and manuscript for his works and etc. The time he had spent with Paik became a milestone of his life making him realize that creative art is unable to exist by a countless trial and error, which has remained as a fertile soil for him to create his photo work. As Paik mentioned, he has put an effort into avoiding illusory image of an subject rather sensitively capturing the external appearance of it. It is an attempt not to stuff it to limited frame but to read perpetuality beyond the frame. Hence Paik in his photo work is given a life and Paik’s world of art also eternally exist over time. We hope this exhibition would provide You with a chance to take a look at Paik’s vividly existing presence through his works of art presented by Lim Young Kyun’s insightful art work, and to contemplate the artistic spirit in his world of art.

Lim Young Kyun was born in Daegu, Korea. After completing his B.F.A at Chung-Ang University, M.F.A at New York University and studied in International Center of Photography (I.C.P), New York. Starting with the Grand Priz in 1973 at Photo Contest for High School Students granted by Korea Photography Association he has been awarded Top 10 Photographers nominated by curator Mary Forest who had worked at Smithonian Institute in Washington D.C, in 1985 and granted Fulbright Award in 2000 and etc, and he also had the invitational exhibition at British Musuem in 2007. He worked as a reporter of Joong-ang Daily Newspapers in New York (1983-1988) and contributed his writings and photo works to daily newspapers and magazines in Korea as well. He used to teach in New York University and Chung-Ang University. His works have been collected by Museum of Modern Art (New York), International Center of Photography (New York), Kodak Photography Museum, Landesmuseum fur Kunst und Kulturgeschichte Oldenberg (Germany), National Museum of Contemporary Art, Kwacheon, and other major museums in the world. His publications are Destiny (Munster stadt Museum), Daily Life Landscapes (Youlhwadang), Portrait of Artist (Ahn Graphics Publishing Co.), Young Kyun Lim Art Vivant, (Sikong sa Publishing Co.), and etc.