Hyung Koo Kang, Warhol Test II (1 of 4 panels), 2008, Oil on canvas. Private Collection. 194 x 130 cm
HYUNG KOO KANG
May 8, 2009 - June 20, 2009
Arario Gallery New York is pleased to present a selection of new works by Hyung Koo Kang. The exhibition will be on view, May 8 through June 20, 2009. An opening reception will be held at the gallery on Thursday, May 7 from 6 to 8pm.
Hyung Koo Kang is hailed as one of the most important portraitist working in Korea today. Inspired by the many interpretations that a fleeting facial expression can yield, he began his methodical investigation of the human face more than 20 years ago.
While Kang frequently paints familiar faces-Vincent Van Gogh, Salvador Dali, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, and Abraham Lincoln among them-his repertoire of larger-than-life size portraits includes anonymous subjects that range in age and ethnicity. Aerosol cans are used to create his velvety, slick surfaces on canvas and aluminum. Brushes, Q-tips and other tools are employed to fabricate details of skin and hair that only a microscopic device might reveal. Kang's blown up studies result in portraits that place the viewer literally eye-to-eye with the sitter.
In Warhol (2008), an iconic image of the deceased artist is copied onto four large canvases. Each painting depicts the left or right side of Warhol's face split exactly down the center. Two of the canvases hang side-by-side to create the whole; the two remaining pieces hang on either side of this central portrait. Bright hues coat each canvas, referring to Warhol's celebrated silkscreen work. Here, Kang demonstrates his own practice of repetition, which manifests either in a single piece, but, more often, in recurring depictions of the same subject. Other works on view include the solemn Lincoln (2008), the presidential figure who resonates with America's recent political discourse; Hepburn 3, which simultaneously captures the youth and adulthood of the well-known actress; and Monroe (2009), a disconcerting image of the celebrity that Kang distorts to the point of caricature.
Kang emerged as a full-time painter later in life. Going to school in the late 1970s, he closely studied the work of artists such as Chuck Close, Salvador Dali, and Leonardo da Vinci. It was not until 30 years after graduating from art school that Kang's work came into public view. In 2007, as the art market was beginning to feel the pull of economic decline, Kang's work went to auction for the first time; Gogh (2006), sold for more than $350K. His work has continued to generate enthusiasm, leading to this milestone exhibition-the artist's first in the United States. Arario New York's exhibition runs concurrently with Kang's presentation at Arario Seoul.
Kang (b. 1954) lives and works in Seoul, Korea. He received his BFA from ChunAng University in Seoul in 1980. His work has been shown at the Gwanju Art Museum, Gwanju; Seoul Arts Center, Seoul; Samsung Plaza Gallery, Seoul; and the Daejeon Museum of Art & Design, Daejeon. In 2004, his work was included in the Gwanju Bienniale, curated by Yongwoo Lee (and co- curated by Kerry Brougher and Sukwon Chang). Kwang's work is held in numerous collections, including The Amore Museum; Federation of Korean Trade Union; Gamsil Olympic Main Stadium; Son Ki-Jeong Memorial Foundation; and the Jimmy Carter Center, Atlanta.
PUBLICATION
The catalogue produced for Kang's exhibition at Arario Cheonan in 2007 will be available for purchase at the gallery. Complimentary copies are available for the press. Quantities are limited. Please call for more information.
