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Tiffany Lee is the artist who is working in Korea. She was born in Amman, Jordan 1983.

She works and lives in Seoul, Korea.

Artist Profile 2007 B.F.A. Ewha Womans University, Painting and Printmaking, Seoul, Korea 2009 M.A. Student Exchange Program, Coventry University, Coventry, UK 2010 M.F.A. Graduate School of Kookmin University, Fine Art, Seoul, Korea

[Tiffany Lee - Artist's Note 2013]

Focusing on the gloom and solitude of contemporary cities was the starting point of my works. Early works were mostly an attempt to express those feelings. But as observations on contemporary cities went on, I came to realize that the main reason to all these symptoms was 'Capitalism'. Worries on huge cities based on capitalism poured out since the 18th century. Some pointed individualism. Others pointed greed or weariness.

A 'Lollipop' and a 'Soft Ice cream' arouses a sentimental memory of our childhood. Catching a glimpse of a huge lollipop and a soft ice cream sitting inside the scenery of cities, those would be recognized as a positive icon(or image) such as our childhood or a sweet taste. However lollipop and soft ice creams are 'producted', which is one of the typical 'capitalism-product' featured on mass production and mass duplication. If so, the desolate scenery of cities inside the paintings and those two 'products' could be considered as similar figures.

These two objects are also the 'primary wish-list' of our childhood. It means, they are the first object which gives a strong desire for us to buy them, eat them, and get them. In that sense, these sweet objects symbolizes the desire of our childhood.

Moreover, we learn about capitalism from these two objects when young. If a little boy who doesn't have a concept on money is asked to choose between a ten-dollar bill and some pieces of candy, he would choose the latter. But when the boy gets to know the necessity of money when purchasing sweets, he also realizes that a ten-dollar bill worth more than just a single piece of candy. It's the turning point of desire for lollipop and soft ice creams moves to money. In this way, we naturally learn the concept of money, which is the basis of capitalism.

By placing these two objects with a multiple meaning inside the painting of the city, it is raising a question asking, 'what we regard as sweetness might be just a desire which capitalism taught us'. Lollipop and soft ice creams which 'look' sweet could be our teachers who taught capitalism and a 'brainwashed desire' at the same time. So we should reconsider about this 'sweet desire', if this makes our daily life more intense.

Because life and cities are originally intense, our life in the cities are also intense. That's the difference between god and human, barbarism and civilization. However, are we living fiercely as a human being in a civilized society, or as a slave of desire which capitalism indoctrinated us? Thorough process of thinking would lead us to cities, which could then be 'Utopia whatsoever'.



Homepage : www.tiffanylee.org E-mail : tiffanyseunglee@gmail.com