Ryan McGinley
Magic Magnifier
7 November 2013–23 February 2014
Daelim Museum
21, Jahamun-Ro 4-Gil, Jongno-Gu
Seoul, 110-040
Korea
T +82 2 720 0667
F +82 2 720 0665
Daelim Museum is pleased to present the exhibition Magic Magnifier by Ryan McGinley, who is a New York-based photographer, and his works are on view for the first time in Korea. Daelim Museum brings together emerging and acknowledged artistic works within our everyday life while informing their values through exhibitions. Looking at McGinley’s past 14 years of works, including the works that first got him into the Whitney, this exhibition introduces his exemplary photography series documenting the inner conflict, passion, and deviation in youth with such honesty.
Ryan McGinley was one of the youngest artists to have a solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art at the age of 25. He was influenced by many subcultures; skateboarders, graffiti writers, musicians and artists, and his personal experience of daily activity in downtown were reflected in his photos, magnifying a sense of reality. His works have been exhibited in world-established museums and galleries worldwide including MoMA PS1, the National Portrait Gallery, and Kunsthalle in Vienna. In recent years, he has extended his work scope to magazines, fashion labels, advertising photography and film.
All of McGinley’s work series are presented together inceptively at this exhibition, including his early documentation of the liberal life in New York, the “Road Trips” series, where he photographed a trip across the States capturing the otherworldly landscape that young generations dream about; his “Animals” series, showing the communication between humans and animals, and the black and white portrait series, consisting of only his studio-based images. Additionally, the exhibition provides his first music video film that he produced for Sigur Rós, the Icelandic post-rock band.
Representing a new approach, his photos focused not only on being restricted to a negative view of society, but by creating shock and sensation in exposing the desire and liberation of youth. Embracing nature as freedom, and capturing a sense of release, his photographic works will transport an idealized, weightless state of freedom and innocence, unburdened by age, worries and anxiety in the space of light, color and energy.
Daelim Museum
Daelim Museum, located in Seoul, South Korea, strives to increase enjoyment of art in everyday life by discovering the value and highlighting the appeal of objects that are habitually overlooked. Since it began with photography exhibitions in 1997, it broadened its scope to fashion, collection, and design. Since 2011, Daelim Museum is constantly on the lookout for exhibitions and organizing exhibitions that feature leading artists such as Juergen Teller, Paul Smith, Karl Lagerfeld and Steidl to increase public interest in art and design.
