Young Mi Kim
tel: 718-440-2868
email: thekym@gmail.com
web: www.thekimmi.net

At the core of my work is the experimentation and revelation of object. I like to experiment with the physical characteristics of canvas and paper to reveal its true nature, and the memory contained within its physical form. By using the negative space of these surfaces, abstract meaning is given to the invisible structure. Emphasis is then placed on the memory and meaning of the canvas or paper, as a physical object.

Canvas Work
My projects on canvas are built around the idea that canvas is more than a mere tool for creating an illusion. Instead, I feel that it is a small piece of architecture, autonomous with its own structure. In one series on canvas I cut out the canvas in the shapes of stained glass Rosette Windows. I then sand down the canvas to create an aged patina. In another series on canvas, I drew window shapes on the canvas with charcoal. I then rubbed out the outer edges to reveal the frames behind the canvas’s surface. Both of these series emphasize the properties of canvas –its three dimensional structure, and its tactile nature.

Paper work
My paper work was inspired by receiving a thoughtful postcard from a friend. I became intrigued by the irony of how thin the postcard was, as compared to how deep my friend’s concern was. I want to reveal this thought through the process of making paper more physical, creating an architectural space out the physicality of the papers in order to house their meaning. I concentrated on the paper’s thickness, layering two dimensional papers to create three dimensional spaces.

© Young Mi Kim