Reinigungsbilder

We leave traces, day in day out, everywhere we go, invisible or conspicuous, coincidentally subconscious or with full intent: as we walk we leave footprints on the ground behind us, when we cross borders we leave fingerprints behind confirming our identity; we do so every time we depart from one place in search of another. Or as French poet Jean Tardieu aptly put it: “I say there is endless motion in this world, and everything that moves leaves visible traces; a pattern, a reflex, a colour.” The material itself leaves a mark; whether as sediment or eroded through abrasion it simultaneously hints at its previous form, providing proof of a bygone existence, a past collision of two objects.
Jeewi Lee originally studied painting and her work today is characterised by a fascination with the ground, the terrain we traverse. ‘Ground’ less in the sense of soil and geologically relevant rocks, but rather as a representation of individual cultures and their habits either in the public realm or in a private refuge.
Lee’s focus elevates the overlooked and partially unintended residue imparted from everyday life—indicated in her new work series (Reinigungsbild, 2015) in an inverted manner. Employing floor cleaner consisting of natriumhypochlorid, she attempts to remove stains from used traditional Korean paper flooring Hanji-jangpan and thus, its history, without succeeding to erase all evidence of activity.

Although these images may be reminiscent of abstract works by certain painters, they are in fact the genuine result of unpredictable external processes that Jeewi Lee does not entirely foresee; Lee merely either selects them or initiates the course of events that lead to the image. Hence Lee’s work doesn’t claim to reflect a reality beyond the canvas, but rather it shows the development of its creation and past.

Text: Dr. Ursula Ströbele