Pt 1. Art Crawl in Itaewon: A Subjective Take
Last Thursday, I found myself in Itaewon for some shenanigans, with the main events being an art crawl and indulging in some good food. To be honest, my original plan was to head to Myeongdong for some Chinese hotpot and show you all what vegetarians or vegans could enjoy there. But I got a bit lazy, so that plan got scrapped. Don’t worry, though—I'll cover that in my upcoming Veg-log. For now, let’s talk about some art.
I visited three exhibitions, each hosted by galleries of varying sizes. The plan was simple: start at Lehmann Maupin, head to Foundry, and end at Pace—all conveniently lined up on the same street. But since Pace opened earlier than the others, I took a detour, starting there and working my way to Foundry, then Lehmann Maupin. Thankfully, they were all within walking distance.
First Stop: Pace Seoul
Pace was hosting two exhibitions: one by Kenneth Noland and another by Sam Gilliam. Now, let me be upfront—I approach art in the most subjective way possible. I don’t always research an artist before seeing their work. For me, the real magic of art is in the first, raw reaction, before diving into explanations or artistic intent. So, here’s my take.
Kenneth Noland
Noland’s work played with geometric forms, color fields, and layering. The textures were interesting, and I could appreciate the precision behind them, but to me, it felt familiar—like something I’d seen before in countless modern art exhibitions. I know Noland is highly regarded, and being represented by Pace is no small feat, but personally, it didn’t grab me. It was one of those moments where I thought, Okay, cool… but what else? So, I didn’t feel compelled to dig deeper into his background.
Sam Gilliam
Next up, Sam Gilliam. At first glance, his work reminded me of tie-dye—fluid, colorful, and organic. There was an undeniable energy in the way the colors blended and flowed, but I struggled to feel a strong emotional or conceptual pull. I’m sure there’s a deeper philosophy behind it (there always is), but it didn’t intrigue me enough to explore further. Then, I spotted the price tags—some pieces well over a million dollars. And that’s when I had a moment. Could I just throw some paint around, make up a concept, and call it a day? Of course, there’s more to it than that—Gilliam has a long-standing influence in abstract expressionism, and his process is an evolution of color field painting. But my initial gut reaction was skepticism.
Final Thoughts
Art is subjective. What moves one person might leave another indifferent. In this case, Noland’s precision and Gilliam’s expressive colors didn’t resonate with me the way I’d hoped. But that’s the beauty of visiting exhibitions—you never know what will spark something in you. Some pieces stay with you long after you’ve left, while others fade from memory the moment you walk out the door. Either way, the experience is always worth it.
Would I recommend checking these out? If you're into abstract expressionism or color field painting, sure. But if you're looking for something groundbreaking or emotionally gripping, you might walk away feeling like I did—appreciative but unmoved.
Next stop: Foundry and Lehmann Maupin. Stay tuned.
