Photo Gallery
Function or Submarine: New Work by Hoon Lee - exhibit opening
Exhibit Opening Reception on September 4, 2008.
Friday, August 22 - Friday, September 26 - The GVSU Art Gallery
began a new season with an exhibit that payed tribute to both
traditional and modern techniques in ceramics. Artists have been
creating ceramics in Korea since about 6000 BC. This exhibit included
ceramic art based on celadon from the Koryo Dynasty (918-1392) and
buncheong from the Choseon Dynasty (1392-1910), as well as modern
techniques. Lee has been coordinator of the ceramics program since
coming to Grand Valley's Department of Art & Design in 2004. The
Korean-born artist works primarily at performance-based installations,
though his vast interest and experience in ceramics play a role in
many of his projects. Of the many pieces created for the exhibit, one
non-ceramic piece rose above the others. Hanging from the ceiling of
the exhibit was a 12-foot submarine skeleton Lee fashioned from thin
strips of bamboo, in part as a tribute to the bamboo tools used in
ceramics. "A submarine is a special type of container whose shape
resembles the traditional bottles of early Korean ceramics," said
Lee. "I thought it would also be a fun way to make reference to
the many pieces of ceramics on the sea floor from sunken ships that
imported Korean ceramics to Japan centuries ago.