Sang-gill Lee : Contact

Contact : Communication of Life between the Other and the Self

_ The sculptor Sang-gill Lee is the Grand Prize winner of the 2000 Grand Art Exhibition of Korea and has awarded the 2003 Asian Award given by the Freeman Foundation, USA. He has been working on the series of work called 'The Breathing Box' that deals with communication of life between human and nature employing materials such as metal, acryl and dry flower petals. The series 'The Breathing Box' was initiated from the creation of lidded metal boxes, and was gradually developed in the way to reveal something which was once hidden. The significance is given to the contents that the artist desired to place in the box which exposes its inner status. By manipulating stainless-steel cubic boxes and geometric patterns, the arts purports to seek for external expansion and co-existence of life, and this is to explore the possibility of contact between the other and the self.

Floating Light, Sparkles and Signals from the Exterior

_ His works display unexpected rhythms of transmitting lights through fragments of stainless-steel that are imbedded in glass pieces of translucent colors and the splendor of diffused reflections which are crossing among them. This is as if the floating light is embodying some invisible material that hovers in the space into physical forms. The artist senses the approaching signals from the exterior through the particles of material that are expressed in the sparkles. The signals lead our internal and external territories to the point of contact; in this concept of contact, the isolated self is redeemed, the other world is reconciled, and the communication and the common ground of sensitivity with the exterior are established.

Subtle Sensitivity and Moderate Beauty of Form that do not allow the slightest disturbance

_ The Contact series that are placed in the middle of the exhibition space are made of square stainless-steel plates that are welded to each other in various techniques expressing the formal sensitivity and immaculate craftsmanship of the artist. Argon welding technique is used in his works that adding the warmth of manual touches on the cold material of stainless-steel. The surface of stainless-steel that is perfectly polished shows restrained formal beauty and urban sensibility that do not allow the slightest agitation nor tremble. At the same time, however, the interior of the work seen from the front side shows another world; the diffusion of light on the stainless-steel fragments in various forms and sizes of 3m and 5m invites the viewers to the world of mazes.

_ Sang-gilll Lee shows his interest in the new material, aluminum through his works for the exhibition. The aluminum boxes of mysterious and lucid colors are attracting viewers attention placed at a corner of the exhibition space. The works reflect the subtle sensitivity of the artist, whose work includes various methods and fields. The aluminum boxes that are carefully coated with colors are the result of the ceaseless investigation regarding the natural quality and formal potential of materials and the aesthetic imagination of the artist.

The Expansion of Contact : Tradition-Contemporary, East-West, Human-Nature, and God-Human　

_ The purpose of this exhibition is to search for a message of communication and unification in the contemporary society where rupture and isolation became a part of it through the creativity and aesthetic sensitivity of the artist. The communication between the other and the self in a micro dimension expands to a macro dimension such as tradition-contemporary, East-West, Human-nature, God-Human. The viewers will be able to sympathize with the artists intention to overcome the isolation from the external world and realize that the art is the expression of human desire to communicate with the exterior.