JIN HAN LEE — Spring Studio

Lee :  ” Between the edges of the depicted window and the painting canvas, my daily acts of living and painting —smoking, thinking, mixing colors, phoning, texting, daydreaming, looking out the window— are represented. The various hand gestures, such as stroking, smearing, rubbing and scribbling, suggest that these gestures move from one to another very quickly: from making marks to erasing the failed brush marks; touching the neck gently and then stretching it eagerly; examining my fingernails after watering the plants, and so on. I sometimes do more than two acts at the same time: grabbing a brush with my right hand whilst wiping my left hand on a filthy work jumper; focusing on the canvas and, at the same time, deciding if I need one more strong coffee; arranging for a plumber to come over while scribbling on a notepad.

Through the window depicted in the center of the canvas, I gaze outside the studio. I see the slow passing of time with my Korean eyes. I look at the tree’s confused buds branching out too early in spring. While my mind is being swept away from the three heaters that continuously pump dry air into the room, my eyes are fixated on these poor, freezing buds, shaking beyond the window.”