Sitting without Seat 1961

Lee Hang Sung's print is an all-over field of shapes in tones of grey, white and brown, where abstracted figures and forms emerge. I imagine the artist, coaxing these curious figures into being. There’s a funny one in the upper right, all angular and awkward, contrasted by the chunky brown figure at the bottom, sitting but without seat. The artist is improvising, in the spirit of painters like Gorky and Guston, but with a graphic sensibility that feels fresh. What might he have been thinking when he made it? I see a dance of gestures, each shape finding its place in the composition. I can imagine him trying to find an aesthetic balance between chaos and order as he created the image. It’s a beautiful testament to the unpredictable magic that can happen when you let your imagination run wild and embrace the unknown.