Pioneer of Korean performing arts,
Lee Kun-yong’s “Body Drawing”
Exploration of the Relationship between Body, Space, and Context
Summary
- Article
- Festival
- #artist
- #interview
- #art
Artist Lee Kun-yong (b. 1942) is considered a pioneer of Korean performance art since the 1970s. Through his installations, performances, and body drawing works, he showcases new experimental art using his unique methodology. Lee Kun-yong was not only a member of AG (Korean Avant-Garde Association), which he held a significant position in the 1970s but also known as one of the founding members of the ST (Space & Time) group. Let’s take a closer look at the artist Lee Kun-yong, who has gained renewed attention in recent years for his painting works, along with materials from the ACC Archive Collection.
From Childhood to Becoming an Artist
Lee Kun-yong was born to his pastor father and nurse mother, and dreamed of becoming an artist since elementary school. In a house overflowing with books, he read numerous books from an early age, influenced by his father. From middle school, he had already delved into embassies and cultural centers, acquiring advanced culture. Along with contemplation about what art is, he always had a thirst for “novelty.”
Although his mother hoped for him to become a doctor, he entered Hongik University’s College of Fine Arts in 1963. At a time when Informel was trending, he found it uninteresting. Instead, he developed a strong interest in new art movements and avant-garde art. Each night, he would read books on international art at the university library, and from his college years, he began to establish a firm and unique artistic direction for himself.
Portrait photo of Lee Kun-yong
*This is an instant film photograph of Lee Kun-yong against the backdrop of an exhibition (presumably a photo taken during his solo exhibition held at Now Gallery in 1989).
Source [ACC Archive Collection: Korean Performance Art in the 1960s–1970s: Lee Kun-yong materials]
<Body Resistance>: Let’s Look at Art from Outside the Realm of Art
Considered his breakthrough work, <Bodyscape> was first presented at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul in 1971. While visiting the Ttukseom area, he stumbled upon a tree being uprooted at a construction site and decided to relocate it to the exhibition space. Leaving only the lower part and roots of the tree intact, he dug up soil from the site and filled the space measuring 1000x1000x1500 cm. He then stood the tree on the exhibition floor.
His intention was to explore art not only within the confines of the art world but also from outside perspectives, aiming to break the boundaries and traditional notions of art. He claimed that as an artist, he aimed to expand the concept of art by not creating something to be placed on a pedestal but by directly introducing natural phenomena that belong outside into an exhibition space. Afterwards, he participated as the representative of Korea in the 8th Paris Biennale in 1973.
Left: Exhibition photograph of <Bodyscape> (Korean Artists Association Exhibition, 1971, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (Gyeongbokgung))
Right: Exhibition photograph of <Bodyscape> (8th Paris Biennale, 1973, Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris)
Source [ACC Archive Collection: Korean Performance Art in the 1960s–1970s: Lee Kun-yong materials]
While participating in the Paris Biennale, he was deeply shocked after witnessing a performance by Jean-Jacques Lévêque, which was part of a side program. The shamanistic performance that he witnessed involved elements such as rice, animal bones, and notably, an actual live foal appeared during the performance. His realization came from witnessing an actual live foal being used as a medium in the artwork, rather than just imitating a foal. This experience allowed him to glimpse the possibility of corporeality as an artistic medium, exploring the potential of embodiment in art.
Through this experience, he came to the realization that, up until then, he had never considered that as an artist, he could use himself as a medium, rather than solely relying on objectified materials such as stones, soil, or wood. This became a turning point for him, leading him to start incorporating the body as a medium in his own artistic practice.
I realized that the artist’s body itself, the artist themselves, can become the medium of art.
It was a transformative process for me to truly understand and
realize that.”
- Lee Kun-yong -
<The Logic of Space>: There, Here, There, Where
He draws a circle around himself in ink using black ink. Then, he points outside the circle and says “there,” points inside the circle and says “here,” and finally points to the circle behind him and exclaims “there” again. He then spins around the circle he drew, repeatedly shouting “where, where, where, where, where” as he disappears into the crowd.
<The Logic of Space> is an event that took place during the 1975 “AG” exhibition. It draws attention to the changing names of the space according to the movements of the body, aiming to create a fresh awareness of the relationship between the body and the space.
Photographic record of <The Logic of Space> (1975, Hongik University)
Source [ACC Archive Collection: Korean Performance Art in the 1960s–1970s: Lee Kun-yong materials]
<Body Drawing>: Traces of the Body Created Under Limited Conditions
His series <Body Drawing> is an artistic endeavor that seeks to establish a connection between the act of drawing and the body itself. Unlike other works, in this piece the artwork is not ephemeral and doesn’t disappear after the event. Instead, the drawing is created directly on the canvas. He deviates from the traditional method of drawing on canvas and instead sets limitations on the body while creating the artwork. For example, he may impose constraints or specific conditions on his body while drawing.
Standing sideways
With casts on the arms / Between the legs / With both arms /
With the shoulders spread”
The trajectory of the moving arm, dictated by the self-imposed limitations on the body, forms the composition on the screen. Through a unique visual language created by producing traces of the body under constrained conditions, he showcases the process of the body perceiving and interacting with the flat surface.
<Body Drawing 76-2> Photographic record. Source [ACC Archive Collection: Korean Performance Art in the 1960s-1970s: Lee Kun-yong materials]
<Snail’s Gallop>: The Body that Erases as It Draws
First presented at the 1979 Bienal de Sao Paulo, <Snail’s Gallop> captures the process of creating the line of life within the slow steps of a snail. It reveals the speed and flexibility of life within the limited scale of the snail’s body. Furthermore, this artwork is a performance that emerges from contemplating the act of drawing while simultaneously invalidating and erasing that very act, exploring different methods of doing so.
He sits down, crouched, and continuously draws lines from side to side on the ground, while moving forward at an extremely slow pace using the soles of his feet. He relentlessly creates traces as he progresses. It is a combination of the “body that draws” and the “body that erases while stepping on the drawing,” as they intersect and converge within a single act. Through the continuous act of drawing and erasing lines, he reveals his exploration of the “essence of painting.”
Since the 1970s, he has been constantly exploring the “body,” “spaces” where performance art happens through the body, and the “relationships” with the viewers. He refers to his own performance art as “event-logical” and combines the realm of logic with the concept of “events.” His performance art is not based on random “happenings,” but rather on meticulous analysis and planning for his work.
Even in his 80s, he continues to be an active contemporary artist, engaging in the recontextualization and expansion of his existing series of “Body Drawings” in response to the changing times. His constant reflection on art and his effort to communicate with the public persist to this day.
- by
- So Na-yeong (nayeongso@daum.net)
- Photo
- ACC Archive
Asia Culture Center, Asia Culture Archive Report 4, “Happenings and Events: Korean Performance Art in the 1960s–1970s”
[Image Source] ACC Archive Collection “Performance Art in Korea: Lee Kun-yong materials”