{"id":45087,"date":"2019-05-16T10:43:50","date_gmt":"2019-05-16T16:43:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/?p=45087"},"modified":"2019-06-15T09:39:52","modified_gmt":"2019-06-15T15:39:52","slug":"a-newcomers-story-jiyoun-lee-lodges-enchanting-drawings-engulf-the-alice-gallery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/a-newcomers-story-jiyoun-lee-lodges-enchanting-drawings-engulf-the-alice-gallery\/","title":{"rendered":"A Newcomer\u2019s Story: Jiyoun Lee-Lodge\u2019s Enchanting Drawings Engulf the Alice Gallery"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

“Waterman-Uintah”<\/p><\/div>\n

Major transitions often feel overwhelming, like a wave of dislocation that renders one temporarily paralyzed. Spatial transitions are among the most disarming, engendering unique challenges to the foundation of one\u2019s personal, social and often cultural identity. This idea of \u201cbelonging\u201d or existing as an \u201coutsider\u201d has been a catalyst for many artists to rethink the artificial barriers of place in thoughtful and impassioned ways.<\/h4>\n

Being, in her words, a \u201cself-imposed outsider,\u201d Jiyoun Lee-Lodge brings a nuanced view to the issue. Born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, Lee-Lodge is accustomed to life in a huge, bustling metropolis. Though her move from South Korea to New York City was no doubt consequential, her relocation to a comparably large city was at least familiar. It\u2019s the transition from New York to Utah however, that has proved particularly revelatory, inspiring her emotive and moving Waterman<\/em> series, now on view at the Alice Gallery.<\/h4>\n

In a series of pen and ink drawings, Lee-Lodge uses the rousing metaphor of a figure submerged in water to articulate the challenges of moving across the country and beginning a new life with her family. The drawings depict a recurring figure in what she calls a \u201ctroubled state,\u201d moving within various spaces, ranging from the grand \u2014 the Uinta Mountains \u2014 to the banal \u2014 driving and navigating domestic spaces and a parking garage. In each, the figure is transitory and stifled by the varying degree of obstruction caused by waves of water.<\/h4>\n

The series showcases Lee-Lodge\u2019s background as an animator \u2014 she formerly taught in the Department of Game Design at New York University \u2014 as well as her deft mastery of minute detail. It\u2019s easy to get lost in the nature scenes, mimicking, if only for a second, the astounded psychology of the figures nestled within them.<\/h4>\n
\"\"<\/a>

“Waterman-Hiking #2 (Uintah)”<\/p><\/div>\n

In \u201cWaterman-Uintah,\u201d a visual feast that both intrigues and disturbs, a pair of legs, hands and a single eye emerge from a chaotic swirl of waves. Despite being fully submerged in the wave of water, the human figure appears in a seated position, resting in an open grove of lush forest. Its counterpart, \u201cWaterman-Hiking #2 (Uintah)\u201d depicts a figure overcome by a tide of water, sitting in the corner of an otherwise vast mountainous region. In each, Lee-Lodge crafts a fascinating interplay between foreground and background and between the detail of the stylized figures and their hyper-realistic surroundings.<\/h4>\n

For Lee-Lodge, the vastness of Utah\u2019s natural beauty presents a different kind of splendor, distinct from the enormous cityscapes of her life prior to Utah. Indeed, these nature scenes astutely capture a feeling of overwhelming isolation. Lee-Lodge explains that the state\u2019s majestic aspen trees made an indelible impression, as the almond-shaped marks on the aspens\u2019 surface mimicked huge eyes staring back at her. The ever-present and enchantingly constant gaze of the aspen trees elicited the prying eyes of Utahns, known for their perpetually cheerful disposition and inquisitiveness.<\/h4>\n
\"\"<\/a>

“Waterman-Gym”<\/p><\/div>\n

While the nature scenes render the sensation of astonishment obvious, the seemingly ordinary depictions of the water-covered figure navigating a home lawn, gym, bathroom, or parking garage, are, in some ways, even more interesting. In these, the water represents a tangible heaviness as one traverses from one location to another. Titles such as \u201cPerfect Home\u201d and \u201cOffice\u201d signal the ever-present weight of this transition. Lee-Lodge candidly admits that the series aims to show the arduousness of \u201cmimicking the ideal life,\u201d and how that very often differs from the \u201creal life.\u201d<\/h4>\n

It\u2019s a testament to the utterly captivating nature of the ink drawings that their lack of color fails to register. While Lee-Lodge normally maintains a colorful palette, this monochrome series is meant to evoke a journal-like sensation. Indeed, the autobiographical nature of the series is fascinating considering we never see the figure\u2019s face.<\/h4>\n

Surprisingly to some, Utah has long been a refuge for \u201coutsiders,\u201d beginning with the fateful voyage of pioneers who made this unlikely desert utopia their home. Though its population is predominantly white, Utah remains a solidly unique harbor of sorts, both politically and as home to unparalleled natural landscapes. As its population continues to expand, so too does the definition of the \u201coutsider\u201d the state has worn as a badge of honor since its inception. In the end, Utah is heading for an inevitable wave of diversity, and with it a range of new perspectives. Through its unique identity, Utah sharply brings about the themes of discomfort and transition embedded in Lee-Lodge\u2019s work, and provides rich artistic possibilities for those brave enough to embrace them.<\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Waterman the Stranger,<\/em>\u00a0 Jiyoun Lee-Lodge, Alice Gallery, Salt Lake City, through July 5. Gallery Stroll artist reception, May 17, 6-9 p.m.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Major transitions often feel overwhelming, like a wave of dislocation that renders one temporarily paralyzed. Spatial transitions are among the most disarming, engendering unique challenges to the foundation of one\u2019s personal, social and often cultural identity. This idea of \u201cbelonging\u201d or existing as an \u201coutsider\u201d has been a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1534,"featured_media":45088,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_piecal_is_event":false,"_piecal_start_date":"","_piecal_end_date":"","_piecal_is_allday":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[19,14],"tags":[920,3455],"class_list":["post-45087","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exhibition_reviews","category-visual_arts","tag-alice-gallery","tag-jiyoun-lee-lodge"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Waterman_Uintah_s-1.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-07 02:26:22","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45087","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1534"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45087"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45087\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45136,"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45087\/revisions\/45136"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45088"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45087"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45087"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45087"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}