Bae Bien-U
Images from Pine Tree and Sea series
Bae Bien-U is a self-taught photographer and one of the most internationally recognized
outside of South Korea. Always interested in landscape, he began to take photographs
in the 1970s. From 1985, Bae Bien-U has concentrated on pine forests, resulting
in the series Pine Tree which is exhibited in Proof on Main along with
the series Sea. Profoundly inspired by the Pine Trees, the largest
tree to be found across all of South Korea, Bae opted to focus on the trees on the
hills around the old city of Gyeongju. One of the oldest provinces in Korea and
once the home of over 20 kings, the sacred pine tree groves were planted to honor
the death of the kings. Today, the pine groves of South Korea are a national treasure.
Photographed at different times of day, often in mist, and using very long exposures,
the images are imbued with great poetic density and create a mystic effect and a
feel of eternity.
Bae Bien-U does not aim to capture reality in his photographs, but rather the essence
or soul of the objects that he observes. He invites us to contemplation, even meditation,
so that we feel transported in their presence. His work reveals connections with
the Oriental pictorial tradition while also evoking the spirit of European Romanticism.
Exhibited Works
- Sea SEA1A-032H, 1999. C-print mounted on plexiglass.
- Sea SEA1A-033H, 1999. C-print mounted on plexiglass.
- Sonamu, 2002. Gelatin silver print mounted on plexiglass.
- Sonamu SNM1A-014V, 2002. Gelatin silver print mounted on plexiglass.
- Sonamu SNM1A-016V, 2002. Gelatin silver print mounted on plexiglass.
- Sonamu SNM1A-043H, 1992. C-print mounted on plexiglass.
Past Exhibitions
Lauren Argo
Life as Art: Live Art Installation
June 4 - 24, 2006
enclosed window space at 21c Museum Hotel’s restaurant, Proof on Main
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exhibition details