This work is called Type City by artist Hong Seon Jang. At first glance, it looks like a stylized architectural model, but when you look closer you can see that it is made entirely from led type from an old printing press.
I collected this work because it relates to another article I have collected about an artist that uses type in a 3D way. I found it interesting looking at this work as it helped to expand my thoughts about type and made me realize that type doesn't just have to be used on a piece of paper or a flat surface, it can be made in to art such as installation or sculpture, like this.
When I look at this work, I get the feeling that Jang is mimicking the continuously evolving world. It has a cold eerie feel to it due to the lack of color and the solidity of the material. The printing press and the buildings of a city are both man made, so by using the cold colours and materials of the printing press, Jang is possibly suggesting that not all man made things are beautiful.
An idea that would be interesting to follow up on is that of the circulation of destruction and creation, both by human and nature. Some of the themes that are presented in this work are that of creation and extinction, survival and growth, nature vs man made, technology and time.
A question that this piece raised for me was when will humans stop wanting more? In a way we are destroying the environment we live in by continuously developing towns and cities, making them bigger and destroying bush and forests to develop and expand cities such as this.
Date found: 2nd March 2013
Links:
David B. Smith Gallery
Towards a typographic city
I completely agree with Sarah! I thought when i first looked at it that it was a miniature architecture model. The way the led and colours have been used really attracted me to look further into his work. i think the question it raised for you is a really important issue that needs to be addressed by the human race sooner or later because these things aren't sustainable and when the enviornment is destroyed the world will not be a good place to live in.
ReplyDeletekrupa