Carnival of Colors, Lines

Painter Lee's abstract paintings work magic with dynamic colors, lines

Painter Lee Doo-sik, who now is dean of the Fine Arts College of the Hongik University, launched his artistic career in the '60s riding on the artistic trends popular during the period; informel and abstract expressionism. But he was interested in the conventional world of 'Mandara'or shamanism world in the 'series association with colors of Danchung'during the time when it was easier for a painter to learn Western fine arts, which is not unusual when viewed from his entire artistic world. At one time, painter Lee's representative work centered on the forms of pencil drawing on papers and finishing them with water-color painting, which at the time was taken as a totally strange form of fine art. Art critic Kim Jong-geun writes in his commentary on Lee's work.
On the whole, such techniques presented a drawing and the characteristics of sensuous esquisse. The works called 'a Prayer for Life'uses the advanced installation and techniques freely by first putting the indefinite external forms in the center.
From the mid'80s, his artwork became more intense and explosive impression because his drawings with water color paintings began to have strong and explosive colors. His art world made a big contribution to boosting the beauty of drawing with hands as a main weapon, which had been noted as a means to make quick money. But his style of painting changes and gave way to "City of Festival"series, using canvases. His static description of dynamic realism disappeared and rough, free lines along with passionate emotions of colors overwhelm the canvases. Art critic Oh Gwang-soo called the development the realization of inner energy overflowing with vitality. His continuing art world comprise elements of informal and realism and extend to female body which shows up in his Prayer for Life series intermittently. Moreover, new images of butterflies, barbecued beef, dragon flies, and stairs get mixed with colors and forms and build a harmonious format. This is not enough to be understood as a meeting of abstract and figurative to form a new form of painting with a natural image.
His unique painting skills, in ensemble with brush strokes and colors that shine with musicality contribute to the creation of Lee's unique painting style and the formation of his mark as an artist.
His drawing brush strokes and its characteristics in his art works appear to be constantly influenced by his former paper and canvas works. At times, the improvised and direct techniques, which may seem to be an extreme pleasantry of Oriental art, displays an emotion of entangled orchestras made of passion and function. Furthermore, it is important to focus on the meaning of colors, which are a significant characteristic of his work. His work is made of strong and primitive colors and can be said to be colorist paintings. His unique selection of colors for his work began to be noticed already in 1972 in series of Festival's His magical selection of colors has been based on traditional 'O Bang Saik'made up of red, blue, yellow, black and white, which are part of traditional Buddhist paintings, shamanist paintings, and folk artwork, a basic color selection shown in daily life.
Lee's artwork is made of abundant colors and improvised and non-formal style. The traces of informal in his earlier art pieces and the vibrant colors and formative harmony that continues from the silent atmosphere to the urban festival as shown in the 'Prayer for Life'greatly contrasts with artists who generally adopted patterns. The use of colors and such techniques leave a mark in the history of Korean art.
Painter Lee now can hoist his own flag in a new land with the energy he created with his unique art style. Recently, the third period that symbolized Lee's Golden Age, as many art critics have classified, has now moved on to the fourth period, a season full of mature beauty. We find this trend in the series of 'Festival'which is also called "non-title"
In particular, in the primitive colors that he freely uses, he longs for a more temperate use of colors, and in his unhindered form of passion, he searches for a new study of image through restricted reason. In here, like Francis, he is convinced that his passage is the right way, which is a harmonious world with combination of colors dependent on drawing and the concept of drawing. However, he now needs to reside longer in his paintings on his way to another big world and needs to learn how to keep one hand empty because he should be ready for the more beautiful work that may appear on the way.
In the meantime, art critic Shin Hang-sup writes that Lee's art pieces are brimming with lively energy to give an electrifying sensation to viewers. Strong lines, in ensemble with original color images spew energy to sparkle emotion and make spirits tensed up. They become a force to move viewers as a sharp visible image before becoming a subject of discussion whether they are abstract or figurative, beautiful or ugly and what are their contents. As such his paintings don't give enough time for viewers to appreciate his art work so direct and in direct talking manner. This can be called the pleasure of appreciating beauty. Not many paintings give such an impact. Of course, color images created by original colors and the flow of lines make up a temptation that cannot be avoided by viewers easily. But beautiful sensations cannot be created with a visible impact alone; it needs the help of other elements including harmonious formative factors to sparkle beautiful sensations.
Lee's art work make people feel strongly about the vital energy through the only way they can. He is a energetic man with strong physical presence. He is a painter as well as a professor at a university. He was chairman of the Korea Fine Arts Association and is now the dean of the Fine Arts College, the Hongik University in Seoul. He is also working on a doctor's degree at Kyodo University in Japan, taking time out from his busy life and in addition, he spends time on social work outside his painting. He sleeps only four hours a day, but he shows no fatigue. He churns out paintings as many as others do, showing that he is full of spirit as a painter. nw

Painter Lee Doo-sik

Festival; 72.7 x 60.6 cm; Acrylic on canvas; 2006

Festival; 65.1 x 53.0 cm; Acrylic on canvas; 2006