Entanglement

April 5, 2021 to April 22, 2021

Exhibition by Kyung Hee Im

The sculpture speaks about social and physical isolation and the many ways we maintain connections remotely. The isolation of the figurative elements in the artwork is as important as the connection and fragile threads hat bind them together. Figurative sculptures of the whole body or a segment of the body portray the personal link to the artist or their family. Physical distance creates limited connections between bodies. Segmented body parts are layered with plaster gauze over and over, molded, three-dimensionally printed, two-dimensionally printed, or imprinted on my own body. Binding the elements with thread in the final layer unites the various elements into one structure.

The thread's fragility causes it to break or cut easily, but the threads can also be easily re-connected. Fibers tend to stick together naturally and become entangled, which is analogous to human relationships. The threads represent life--lines to loved ones, states, corporations, self, and ones sense of identity. There is tension in the technology that connects us; it can also isolate us. Technological progress can cause people to question the contrast between individual and collective identity.