Joe C. K. Lee
Yin Yang
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Joe C. K. Lee writes, 'Basically DEEP ART is built on two contradictory concepts: Completion and Imperfection."As an oriental, I am fascinated with Buddhist philosophies since young. I always long for completion. Therefore I structured majority of my art in circular or oval shapes, because to the Buddhist, circle represents the universe, leniency and fulfillment, while roundness symbolizes accomplishment. All of nature's system demands equilibrium, and it is often present in art as well.
"Yet as a paradox, while I would like to symbolize completion and satisfaction through my creations, I believe in and advocate imperfection. Having been thwarted many times in my life, mentally and spiritually, I learnt to appreciate the beauty of imperfection after some 40 years of age. Instead of trying to blindly and foolishly pursue the best in every circumstance, I gradually began to accept imperfection of any kind. For it is my belief that true perfection may not exist, and even if it does, it is vulnerable and fleeting, simply because perfection allows no rooms for change, buffering or further improvement. A 'perfect' object thus seals its own fate, slated to be forgotten as it escapes boundaries of our imagination.
"The gist of DEEP ART is the integration of these two different orientations, which appears as a tremendous contradiction. At a glance, many of my elliptical pieces appear balanced and almost symmetrical. Yet ironically, if you look closely and scrutinize deep enough, you may see the true details and realize: none of them are symmetrical or identical from left to right.
"However, my main point is, if you view beyond the direct and obvious conflicts between them, you may realize that completion and imperfection can coexist harmoniously and perhaps even beautifully."