Blue ink on gessoed canvasexpand_more
Gift of Mary and Bob Merskyexpand_more 2018.104.3
Using disposable ballpoint pens, Korean-born artist Il Lee has lived and worked in in Brooklyn since 1977 creating dramatic ink fields on surfaces of canvas and paper.
By combining an inclination toward austerely controlled forms with the distinctive fluidity of ink, he melds Eastern and Western cultural aesthetics into abstractions that are contemporary, yet firmly rooted in tradition. His expressive strokes—characterized by rhythmic, physically demanding arm gestures—leave behind a record of intersecting orbits, undulating lines, and frenetic swirls. When viewed en masse, these discrete movements amount to objects with monumental presence; like wide-open landscapes or perfectly preserved fossils, their auras are imposing and serene, provoking awe and inviting meditation.
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