Artist Statement
CONJUROR - Returning to the thematic inspiration of circus, Juno Youn draws back the curtain to single out his favourite magical tools as a means of revisiting fond memories of circus with a point of focus on Magic.
Youn again delves into the familiar visual journey which prompted the creation of prior exhibitions including A Never Ending Story, Korean Folk Tales, Three Ring Circus, DEJAVU, and Transformer. This latest series of works titled "Conjuror" will return Youn to his familiar artistic style and his ongoing investigation into the lifestyle, the wardrobe, scenery and implements of magical shows.
Renderings of playing cards juxtaposed with the goodies from within the magicians bag of tricks. Handkerchiefs and juggling balls are loosely painted into small, artistic moments. Juggling balls meld into polka dots, stripes blend into bars of tent like colour, a contemporary camouflaging.
Youn's drawings are the result of direct impulses and the immediate response to fleeting thoughts combined with and a formal structured artistic style and form which is characteristically Youn's own.
The changing images reflect the tricks and trickery of the Conjurors magic. These drawings can be a means of developing and formulating ideas, thus making such processes visible.
Youn's drawing and thinking process often in the form of narration or storytelling seem to be two essential; inseparable poles of his work. Image and story married through the Conjuror?s slight of hand. The participants share a moment with each image, as they indulge in the changing narrative within each artistic interpretation.
Biography
Juno Youn (b. Seoul 1969)
Youn is graduate of O.C.A.D. with a Major in Drawing & Painting.
The 3rd (T.I.A.F) Toronto international Art Fair 2002
20th Annual Contemporary Art Fair, Birmingham, 2002 Alabama, U.S
Coca Cola Head office Contemporary Art Exhibition, 2002 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S
The 4th World Calligraphy Biennale 2003, JeonJu, S.Korea
D'Art ENIM International Art Fair 2003, ENIM, France
Le Salon Du Printemps de Montreal (A.G.A.G) 2003
Festival International Montreal - Songs of Apocalypse (C. David Liss) 2007, ART MUR, Montreal
Sh Contemporary 2006, Shanghai, China
Three Ring Circus 2002 SPIN Gallery, Toronto
DeJaVu, 64 Steps Gallery, Toronto
Juno has been the artistic director of SPIN GALLERY since 2000, and he is currently working on his new contemporary art projects in China and Toronto for 2009.
Youn's work has been collected by
Osler, Hoskin & Hartcourt, Toronto
Mizuma Art Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
Cambridge Art Galleries Canada
Longyear Museum of Colgate University of N.Y, U.S
Westfield State Collge Foundation, Massachusetts, U.S
And many private collections