The
Gallery Gazetteer 
Myoung Ho Lee honors trees in his soothing photographs.
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| Tree
#5 Archival Inkjet Print 2007 by Myoung Ho Lee. Yossi Milo Gallery. |
The Internationally known photographer Myoung Ho
Lee is exhibiting his photographs at the Yossi Milo Gallery in New
York until April 18, 2009. The Korean artist photographs trees all
over the world, in different landscapes and seasons, but following
the same complex concept: a large canvas of approximately 60 by
45 feet is placed behind a solitary tree, as if to isolate it on
a painted canvas.
The canvas makes the trees easier to observe and notice
their details, composition and colors. The artificial frames, that
seem to be hung by magic in the middle of a natural environment,
draw the attention of the viewers to the trees. This is a beautiful,
strange and poetic vision of nature.
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| Tree
#2 Archival Inkjet Print 2006 by Myoung Ho Lee. Photo by Yossi
Milo Gallery. |
The trees become an artwork on his canvas. As the
artist says: "Simple in concept, complex in execution, it 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.
The work demands thoughtful analysis."
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Tree
#8 Archival Inkjet Print
2007 by Myoung Ho Lee. Yossi Milo Gallery. |
Mr. Lee, now 34, was a student when he had his first
international success with his exhibit, "Tree," in 2007.
He has received the first Young Photographer’s Award from the Photo
Artist’s Society of Korea (in 2005), Korea’s Photography Critics
Award (2006) and an award from the Culture and Art Fund from the
Arts Council of Korea (2007). He lives and works in Seoul. The exhibit
at Yossi Milo Gallery is his first solo show in the U.S.
As Mr Lee says, “The trees are massive. It’s big work.
It’s a performance to take this picture.” That’s' why his photography
is defined as Act Photography, rather than photography.
This is an inspiring work that deals with environmental
issues and the relationship between humans and nature. If only humans
spent more time painting or photographing trees than cutting them...
[Suzanne Trouve Feff]
