I was born in 1976 to a middle class family in Seoul, Korea. My father travelled abroad a lot for work, when he returned he would show us his slides, filling my head with images of giant oil towers, cowboys, big trucks and cool cars, diners, football fields, and endless Texas highways. I became obsessed with American culture, pop-music and cowboy movies.
I began taking pictures when I was very young with my father’s point and shoot camera. We moved a lot with his job so I would take a lot of pictures of new neighbors, people I didn’t know fascinated me. I was bored and would walk around and take pictures of everything without any consideration of composition or form; just things I liked, family life….I still do the same thing.
As I grew older I became interested in anthropology, in particular the work of Dr. Marvin Harris. His work on cultural materialism changed the way I saw the world. I decided I wanted to study anthropology in the US. Once I arrived, I ended up in the University of Art in Philadelphia, Industrial Arts program. It was very much like anthropology. I studied art, contemporary culture and social movements, while also being immersed in American pop & industrial cultures. I also became very interested in hyperrealism painting.
Unconsciously, I believe I capture of world from the many cultural influences and experiences I have had. I often let the shutter release without too much thinking, so I’m always amazed at the photo itself; it is rarely what I saw at the time I took it. I love documenting a series of images. I document social scenes and daily events on a very personal level - trying to figure out how the subject influences me - actually I am documenting objects as me - probably to try and figure out who I am.
If you have questions or requests for prints and books, please contact:
Jaeyulee
+1 267 738 0422
Represented by :
Laura Kellner
JohnJ McGurk
Blog:
JAEYU LEE
311 EAST 25TH ST.
NEW YORK, NY 10010
USA
