Dog Art Today

Tag: korea

  • Mr. Dog Goes to Utopia by Kwak Su-yeon

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    Mr. Dog Goes to Utopia by Kwak Su-yeon

    One of my favorite artists, Korean painter Kwak Su-yeon just opened a new show at Gallery Erl in Seoul.  She uses minwha, the traditional Korean folk style, to create a metaphor for her own life.  She told JoongAng Daily:

    “My past works featuring dogs with luxury goods had a satirical tone.
    They showed people who were driven to work outside the home in order to
    make enough money to purchase luxury goods, while their dogs were left
    at home to enjoy them,” Kwak said.

    “On the other hand, the works
    for this exhibition have more lyricism,” she continued. “The dogs
    resting amidst the books or journeying to a Taoist paradise reflect my
    desire to escape my own reality, in which I work for eight hours per
    day alone in my studio, and leave for a utopia.”

    I think anyone who works anywhere can relate.  See her earlier depiction of luxury and satire from her Dog Days exhibition here.

    Mr. Dog Goes to Utopia runs until July 1, 2010.

  • More Dog Art From A-young Lee

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    I featured A-young Lee’s dog paintings over a year ago.  I discovered two pieces of her work on a Korean language dog art site called Merry & Happy, but I never managed to find more of her paintings.  But I always remembered them.  So I was thrilled when I recently received a note with a link to her website.  Again, it’s all in Korean, so I don’t have much information, but her paintings speak for themselves. 

    I have never seen a dog artist work outside the canvas so successfully.  Her pieces are clever and original without being gimmicky.  Adorable but not cutesy.  And they wonderfully capture the exuberance of dogs as subjects: impossible to contain.  I normally have no trouble selecting a few of my favorites from a portfolio page, but I wanted to share every single one of Lee’s paintings with you.  So this post has more images than usual.  Visit her gallery page to see more extraordinary works with other creatures too.  I especially like the hippo and the butterflies.

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  • Su-yeon Kwak: Dog Says…

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    OK, it seems to me that Korean artists are producing some of the most interesting dog art in the world today.  Su-yeon Kwak's solo show Dog Says… at Erl Gallery in Seoul looks spectacular!

    Notes from the show (translation is a bit funky, but you'll get the gist): 

    Kwak Su-yeon's work features dogs to reflect human aspects, naturally addressing social issues through their external appearances. Designer handbags and perfumes inserted implicitly into folk painting display the current tendency of consumerism and materialism, conveying an unpleasant truth that such dogs reflect  our own looks and images. The truth also presents the irony that the relations of humans with dogs are reversed.

    The artist joins in the stream of change in oriental painting through her witty, humorous representation of the animal dogs, lending social meaning to them. Strictly speaking, what the artist presents through her paintings, such as the relations of humans with dogs and a slightly prickly truth concerning dogs turn eventually to human stories.  Kwak Su-yeon continues her evolution as an artist and expresses her regrets about the severance of human relations implying that dogs did not evolve as they were supposed to and humans also gave up on evolving as the way they should, using the medium of the dog,  which is her own way of picking up a quarrel about such an irony.

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    Part of the reason I am ga-ga for these paintings is that several years ago I was hired to write a script about Queen Min, Korea's last queen. Along with reading dozens of books on Korea's history, I got to travel there and experience the culture myself. I absolutely fell in love with it and feel a kindred spirit to the country still.

    Look how perfectly I fit in…

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    Speaking of Queen Min, fabulous fashion blogger and jewelry designer, Wendy Brandes was inspired by her incredible story to create this ring.

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    When my movie gets made (one day), I will buy the ring as a celebration gift and wear it to the premiere.

    P.S. Su-yeong Kwak's show Dog Says… runs until September 30, 2008 at Erl Gallery. Via Merry & Happy.

  • A-Young Lee: Korean Dog Leash Paintings

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    Darby just got a brand new leather leash (thanks, Mom), and it reminded me of these paintings I've been meaning to feature. I've postponed it, because I don't know who the artist is. I found them on a my favorite Korean dog art blog, Merry & Happy. If anyone can translate this post and provide me the artist's name I would really appreciate it. (I am going to try Google translator and see what happens.)

    I think these works are so beautiful and clever. And they inspire me to do something creative with Darby's leash. I'll keep you posted.

    9.1.08 Update: The artist's name is A-young Lee.  Thanks, Pu-reum!

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  • Sex and The City by 4 Afghan Hounds!

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    Korean Vogue presents Sex and the City interpreted by four Afghan Hounds!  Click on images to see larger photos.  The details, like Carrie's strappy heels (above), are genius.

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    I hope I didn't ruin the movie for anyone.

    Via Merry Happy my favorite Korean dog art blog.

  • Zen Dog Art

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    Conan, a devout Chihuahua who lives with his master, Zen Buddhist priest, Joei Yoshikuni, has become not only a tourist attraction at his temple in southern Japan, but an international sensation on the Internet too.  He showed up in my inbox today courtesy of my Dad who can’t help but compare Conan to his super talented Minnie.  Minnie might know more tricks, but I think Conan has a better press agent.

    This praying pup inspired me to feature several non-western pieces of dog art I’ve been collecting over the past year.  Enjoy!

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    Mother Dog and Puppies by Lee Am, 1507-1566

     

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    Scratching Dog by Kim Du-Ryang, 1743

     

     

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    Sapsalgae by Kim Du-Ryang, 1743

     

     

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    Puppies by Maruyama Okyo, Edo Period.  Courtesy of the Miho Museum in Japan

     

     

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    Title and painter unknown via this lovely Korean blog.  (If anyone can translate, let me know.)

     

     

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    Another mystery image from the same blog

     

     

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    Detail of 16th century Korean scroll attributed to Yi Am, 1499-1566.   Via Cascada

     

     

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    Also, may I recommend, Judith Adler’s look at our pets as spiritual creatures in the Buddhist tradition in her book Zen Dog, with photos by Toni Tucker.

     

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    My dox-ZEN print is now available at my Etsy shop

     


    Oh…and one more shot of Conan…

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    Coming soon…Minnie’s first movie featuring all her tricks and her fabulous trainer!  Until then, visit her website here.