An artist who paints the nature with light, Jennifer Steinkamp (b. 1958 ~ ) is a media artist based in USA, whose prolific works are seen at major art museums and Biennale in both Europe and USA. Images from the artist deals with body cell-like organic form, trees, flowers, clouds, atmosphere and sky in realistic as well as abstract manner, possessing natural color, which is reflected as a light within transparent atmosphere, along with its subtle movement.
Jennifer Steinkamp has been creating unique artistic world of her own as video installation artist since 1980s, presenting works requiring interpretation about given space as well as audience participation with such notable works as 'Einstein's Dilemma' (2003), 'Jimmy Carter' (2002) and others to a great acclaim as media artist. A graphic designer who originally intended to become VFX professional in the movie industry, this artist first got acquainted with computer animation in 1982 and began working as media artist since then. Jennifer Steinkamp was particularly influenced by surrealistic works by Maya Deren, one of the leading woman filmmakers of the 1940s-50s, as well as by Laura Mulvey (b. 1941~ ), feminist film critic of the 70s. Maya Deren's influences, in fact, are represented in Steinkamp's works in the 90s.
The elements that constitute Jennifer Steinkamp's work are light, space and movement. The illusion of light that is heightened within the space completely changes our previous experiences about space, as the artist delves into how the light can newly create the space and its scale. She focuses on space and light that lingers on it and, as seen from the works by James Turrell, whose long-running inquiries on audiences' gazes and experiences while staying within certain space, continuously investigate on interpretation of light and architecture, along with its application. Examples of Jennifer Steinkamp's works can be found within visual projects applied to particular space that are given or found, pursuing light-transformed physical space within real space and focusing on the relationship within immaterial space between audiences and visual images. Her concentration on light, along with application of moving image on sturdy building structure enables us to witness with our own eyes how light, space and visual image can be condensed with one another as a resulting artwork. What's more, she lowers the height of the projector on purpose, so the audiences can naturally be related into the artwork, as well as to have audience's shadow to function as a part of the artwork, all in a continuous attempt as expansion of work area and for new possibilities of interactive art as well.
From feminism and contemporary social issues, Jennifer Steinkamp finds direct inspirations and/or contents for her works which are completed as grasping visual image after repeated process of detailed graphic works and color layering. Her images turn closed space into open air and shape of imagination into sensuous text, where the movement and time within an imaginative space created by light and natural beings brings the viewers to have their phenomenology intuition come face to face with their insight. The Artist's image changes audiences' insight on existing space within the unison of reality and imagination, covering them by turning physical space into immaterial object, while recorded time remains as a light within moving image.
Jennifer Steinkamp has been releasing visual installations and site-specific projects using computer animation and new media as the main ingredients to her works. Born in Denver, Colorado, USA in 1965, she graduated from California Institute of Arts and Pasadena School of Design and has been a professor at UCLA since 2000. Steinkamp's works are in display throughout major museums all over the world, including Los Angeles County Museum, San Jose Art Museum, Corcoran Art Gallery in Washington DC, Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, Museum of Modern Art-Miami, Istanbul Museum of Modern Art and Tawata Arts Center in Japan. She came to Korea in 2002 for Mediacity Seoul, then again in 2004 for Gwangju Biennale to introduce her works, while gathering an international acclaim with 'Eye Catching,' a work introduced during the 8th Istanbul Biennale in 2003.
This exhibition at LEEAHN Gallery will be comprised of works with nature subjects as flowers and trees grouped as series. A total of 10 artworks will be shown at both Daegu and Seoul.
Fly to Mars
It displays with computer animation the changes taking on the tree according to the seasonal changes, spring, summer, fall and winter, capturing the movements of wind and air through shaking twig. Image of twigs twisting, turning then heading upwards makes us feel the breathe of the artist inside the environment created with digital technology.
It's a nice day for a white wedding
The title of this artwork is taken from the title of mega hit from 1982 by Billy Idol, a former front man of punk rock group Generation X and the mega star as a solo artist during the 80s, called "White Wedding." Colors red, yellow, blue, pink and white represent the seasonal changes, with flowers of corresponding colors hanging from the ceiling to the floor and spilling underneath to create small cascade made of flowers.
Rapunzel
Inspired by a fable by the Grimm Brothers of the same title, the space in which the artwork is installed reminds us of witch's garden within the fable. Meanwhile, ivy that sways down from the ceiling to the floor completely fills the surface of the wall, with wavering ivy in rhythms brings to mind the long hair of Rapunzel inviting the prince to the top of the tower.
Hurdy Gurdy Man
Her work, Hurdy Gurdy Man is taken from a song title by Scottish singer Donovan Phillips Leitch, better known as Donovan (b. 1946~ ), with a homonym title signifying a guy playing a string instrument known as Hurdy Gurdy and a 19th century prostitute (then called Hurdy Gurdy Woman.) This work is expressed with simple and short 'dancing' flowers that may or may not seem alike.
Dance Hall Girl
This series began from a term 'Dance Hall Girl' that the artist happened to hear by chance while watching a western cowboy. The term is a type of slang for a woman working at a saloon, in other words, a prostitute with elaborate dressing up in flashy colors. An image of short flower lightly waving can be installed in a space with little amount of light being shone through.
