jameswagner.com: Gwon, O-sang

January 24, 2005

Gwon, O-sang

Gwon, O-Sang On the languishment of 340 pieces 2000 C-prints, mixed media 79" x 25.5" x 12"

Los Angeles's 4-F gallery (unfortunately the site hasn't been updated for quite a while) has opened a solo show, "Deodorant Type & The Flat," of work by Seoul-based artist Gwon, O-sang.

I originally knew nothing more than what the press release told me and I'm on the other side of the country (of the world?), but the image at the top of this post has haunted me since I first saw it one week ago. I don't know much more now, but the only other work I'd seen then definitely didn't discourage my interest. I've included it below.

Some clues from the gallery's scented statement:

[The show] will consist of floor-bound sculpture that embodies his notion of deodorizing photography's historical odor by filtering it through the third dimension, and large-scale photographs (jewelry, watches, cosmetics) taken from advertisements that have been collaged in real space and re-photographed to flatten the viewing field

There's a peek at his studio here, via crazyseoul.

Gwon, O-sang The Flat 6 2004 Lambda Print mounted on Sintra with UV laminate 71" x 90"

[images from 4-F]

Posted by james at January 24, 2005 8:04 PM

Comments

I went to the opening. The work sure doesn't look as strong in the gallery as it does on your site.

Hmmmmm.

Posted by: cody at January 25, 2005 10:16 AM

Also, doesn't that top piece remind you of Oliver Herring's latest?

Posted by: Edward at January 25, 2005 12:01 PM

Yes, it did remind me of Herring's wonderful and arguably more crafted

work at Protetch, but (for what it's worth) notice the date on this piece and take a look at Gwon's website; some of his photo-sculptures are now five years old.

Posted by: James at January 25, 2005 1:06 PM

"notice the date"

hmmm...looks like Oliver might be the sincere flatterer here...

Posted by: Edward at January 25, 2005 1:20 PM

As an art-lover, I really wonder what brought Mr. Herring to make those crafty 3D photo sculptures. In Gwon O-sang’s case, he made his first 3D photo sculpture to make extra-light mass with his early panorama piece that looked like Hockney’s. Mr. Gwon told me that he had wanted to invent a new way of 3D formulations by using photo documentations. So, to him, making a pretty looking crafty piece was not to be considered. And guys, please remember that his first series of 3D photo sculptures were made in 1998, and he had a successful Seoul-debut in 1999. / Anyway… Mr. Wagner, I really enjoyed your blog. And thank you for the trackback from my blog. Bye.

Posted by: Chung W. Lee at January 28, 2005 10:23 AM

"But part of the modest yet determined strength of Mr. Herring's work stems from the way he plucks ideas from the air and makes them his own." ---ROBERTA SMITH on Oliver Herring's show, NYT, Published: 11 - 05 - 2004

----plucking ideas from the air or from other artists?

Posted by: im at February 4, 2005 8:25 AM

so, you're saying that whoever decided to use paint was copying off another painter? I think their work is very different from each other. Osang is more like Hockney and Herring is more organic. I don't think that Herring is copying off of Osang at all. They both have brilliant ideas and they are going in different directions. There are tons of other artists who use similar materials but they are used in different ways.

Posted by: Alyse at January 28, 2007 1:39 PM