M A T E R I A L M A T T E R S
Left:
# 8 ,
2010
ash, copper wire
30
x
36
x
40
in.
Below left:
#
2
,2010
ash, steel wire,
found wood branch
60
x
12
in. dia.
Hearts of Wbod
S T O R Y B Y
S e b b y W i l s o n J a c o b s o n
SUPER-SIZED H IVES, SHELLS,
a n d s e e d p o d s a r e a m o n g th e
n a t u r a l o b je c t s t h a t c o m e to
m in d w h e n y o u v ie w H e e c h a n
K i m ’ s s e e m in g ly s e a m le s s w o o d
s c u lp t u r e s f r o m a d is t a n c e .
C o m e c lo s e r a n d y o u m ig h t
t h in k o f b a s k e t s a n d b o a t s ,
b e c a u s e K i m ’ s o r g a n ic f o r m s
a r e p a in s t a k in g ly c o n s t r u c t e d
o u t o f d o z e n s o f t h in s t r ip s o f
p a le a s h , w h it e o a k , o r m a p le ,
s t it c h e d t o g e t h e r w it h h u n d r e d s
o f s e p a r a te s t r a n d s o f c o p p e r o r
s t a in le s s s t e e l w ir e .
P e e r in s id e h is # 8 (
2010
) ,
w h ic h w o n r a v e s la s t f a ll a t
t h e A r t P r i z e c o m p e t it io n a t
M i c h i g a n ’ s G r a n d R a p id s A r t
M u s e u m , a n d s a v o r t h e t e n s io n
b e t w e e n t h e s o f t , f le s h - lik e
a s h a n d t h e s h a r p p r o n g s o f
t w is t - t ie d c o p p e r ; y o u j u s t
m ig h t g lim p s e t h e w a r r in g
im p u ls e s o f t h e h u m a n h e a r t ,
y e a r n in g f o r b o t h in t im a c y
a n d in d e p e n d e n c e .
T h a t ’ s w h a t K i m is a im in g
f o r . “ M y c o n s t r u c t io n m e t h o d ,
in s o m e d e g r e e , lit e r a lly r e p r e -
s e n ts th e b e l ie f t h a t e v e r y o n e
is c o n n e c t e d , b o u n d e d , a n d d e s -
t in e d t o liv e t o g e t h e r a g a in s t
t h e ir w i l l , ” h e s a id b y p h o n e
f r o m h is a p a r t m e n t in th e W i l -
lia m s b u r g s e c t io n o f B r o o k ly n .
T h e te n s e m a r r ia g e o f m e t a l
a n d w o o d in K i m ’ s w o r k r e f le c t s
h is m a s t e r y o f b o t h m a t e r ia ls ,
a n d h is p a s s io n t o p u s h t h e ir
b o u n d a r ie s - a n d h is o w n .
B o r n in S e o u l, S o u t h K o r e a ,
t h e
28
- y e a r - o ld K i m e a r n e d a
B F A in m e t a l a r ts a n d j e w e lr y
f r o m S e o u l N a t io n a l U n iv e r s it y
in
2006
. T h e n h e j o in e d h is
f a m ily in S a n F r a n c is c o , w h e r e
h e s t u d ie d m e t a l a r ts a n d j e w -
e lr y a t t h e A c a d e m y o f A r t
U n iv e r s it y .
L o n g in g t o s h if t f r o m j e w -
e lr y t o la r g e - s c a le s c u lp t u r e ,
h e f e lt d r a w n t o w o o d . “ I d o n ’ t
w a n t th e lim it a t io n s o f o n e
m a t e r ia l, ” h e s a y s . “ A t t h e s a m e
t im e , I li k e t o m a s t e r o n e m a t e -
r ia l s o I c a n d o a n y t h in g I w a n t
w it h it . ”
T h e d e s ir e t o m a s t e r a s e c -
o n d m a t e r ia l d r e w h im a c r o s s
t h e c o u n t r y t o t h e R o c h e s t e r
I n s t it u t e o f T e c h n o lo g y , w h e r e
h e e n r o lle d f o u r y e a r s a g o - n o t
in s c u lp t u r e , b u t in it s S c h o o l
f o r A m e r ic a n C r a f t s . T h e r e , h e
s a y s , “ y o u c a n le a r n e v e r y t h in g
a b o u t w o o d . ”
B u ild in g t a b le s , c h a ir s , a n d
c h e s t s s o o n t a u g h t K im t h a t
“ w o o d is r e a lly s t u b b o r n . ”
“ M e t a l is h a r d , b u t i f y o u h e a t
it , it g e ts s o f t a n d is e a s y t o w o r k
w it h , ” h e s a y s . “ B u t w o o d , y o u
n e e d t o t a k e c a r e o f i t lik e a k in g
o r a q u e e n . I t ’ s o u t o f t h e t r e e ,
b u t s t ill it m o v e s b e c a u s e o f th e
m o is t u r e in t h e a ir . ”
A s h e le a r n e d b y s t u d y in g
th e a n c ie n t b o a t - b u ild in g t e c h -
n iq u e s o f s o a k in g a n d s t e a m in g
p la n k s , m o is t u r e c o u ld a ls o h e lp
h im ta m e w o o d .
A f t e r K i m s p e n t t w o y e a r s
d e s ig n in g a n d m a k in g f u r n it u r e ,
R I T p r o f e s s o r s A n d y B u c k a n d
R ic h a r d T a n n e n e n c o u r a g e d
h im t o s p e n d h is f in a l y e a r t h e r e
m a k in g s c u lp t u r e . ( H e e a r n e d
h is M F A in
2010
, t h e n m o v e d to
N e w Y o r k , w h e r e h e ’ s lo o k in g
f o r a s t u d io w h e r e h e c a n c r e a t e
in s t a lla t io n s la r g e e n o u g h to
w a lk in s id e . )
024 american craft jun/juin
Photos: Elizabeth Torgerson-Lamark from ETC Photo
