Artist Myoung Ho Lee
Year: 2013
Medium: Archival Inkjet print
Dimensions: 20.7H x 22.8W in
Original Artwork Price: $14,500
Simple in concept, complex in execution, he makes us look at a tree in its natural surroundings, but separates the tree artificially from nature by presenting it on an immense white ground, as one would see a painting or photograph on a billboard. Lee works slowly, observing each tree before photographing it. To install the large canvases, which can span approximately 60 by 45 feet, the artist enlists a production crew and heavy cranes. Through minimal digital retouching, he removes evidence of the canvas’s support structure, such as ropes or bars, so that it appears to float unaided behind the tree that it frames. The photographs highlight the delicacy and beauty of the trees while also flattening them, causing them to appear as unreal, two-dimensional images inserted into the landscape. Ultimately, Lee deeply examines the nature of representation and its effect on nature itself.
