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Song, Jinsoo (b. 1974, Seoul, South Korea, lives in Tempe, AZ)
While growing up in Korea, he showed no particular promise in art and was pushed to pursue academics. While studying biology at the University of Minnesota, he decided to take a ceramics class. Contrary to everyone else, his teacher believed Song showed promise in art. Song continued to take art courses for the next three years before he finally convinced himself to declare an art major. In 2003, he attended Arizona State University and focused on the "Spoon" series which he began during his 2001 residence at Archie Bray Foundation. He developed surreal, visual allegories by juxtaposing symbolic objects with altered spoons. The work dealt with the human existence, intimate relationships, and death. For his MFA thesis exhibition in 2006, Song created an installation work utilizing the entire gallery space; it was his departure from the collectable-objects tradition. Since receiving MFA in ceramics, Song is working full-time at Arizona State University as a custodian. He is now experimenting with the mixed media and time-based work that blurs the line between life and art. The primary focus of his work has always been on the recording of and the response to his own experiences through art activities. Though the format and media of the work might have shifted, his desire to create the true-to-life art remains. |