When you get a sudden idea and feeling, and an image of a time you don’t want to miss, you habitually take your smartphone out of your bag. Of course, the smartphone is convenient to use because it has various functions such as a camera and a notepad. However, I think it is important for me to write down in an analog way, especially in these days when everything goes so fast. Can we have ‘a daily part’ in our own way? There’s a man who can give us a clear answer for such a question. Kim Taeheon, who gives people a big wake-up with ‘the proverbs’ and ‘drawings'. He is an alumnus of our university and graduated from the Department of Art.

 1. How do you record your own ‘a part of daily life,' and how does that course go on.

 I’m very interested in the small things in daily life because they are very close and direct to me. The things that I am interested in and that I have experienced. These things come in my work. For example, there are political things to be found in even tiny household situations. The way I work is not fixed and is always different on every occasion. Sometimes I draw or paint a picture, other times, I write an essay or take a photo. According to the content of the work, I search for a method that can effectively convey a message to people. I always agonize over the ways I can enjoy works like exhibitions, books, and special lectures. All these things belong to the process of my work.

 2. What is the most important point when you make something?

 I regard communication with people as the most important, because I want to get feedback from others about my work. An artist has to step up to a higher level, but drawing the pictures and having an exhibition can’t make me change all the time. Of course, it is important to sell work by drawing and exhibiting. However, when the artist shows what he has agonized over to get the best project to the public, the most important thing is to get feedback. But, our society is poor in communications. This is unfortunate and regrettable.

 3. What is your process for painting, creating an art object, and the photographic process in your art book?

 In art, subjects can be objects or natural objects borrowed from everyday life. There are times when the artist draws a picture by hand, but if you have a picture you like you can bring it to your work. In my case, I tend to borrow various things naturally for my work. Just as you note the missing parts in a picture, you use the objects as needed in the painting. There is a lot of stuff like dolls in my work. I also do not want to get serious when I work. It makes me happy like cooking. I usually spend a lot of time talking about society. I like to photograph and record a lot like I am a journalist.

 4. You work in various media, but do you have another medium you want to use?

  I’m interested in 3D media. If necessary, I will learn, but I’m not sure yet. These days, when I do a new thing, it costs a lot of money. When I was young, I wanted to make a movie, like an art film or an independent film, not a commercial film. However, the independent film is hard to communicate popularly because only certain aficionados watch the film. I want to communicate with the general public, not just specific maniacs. So, in the past, I wanted to turn my thoughts into a film, but I was worried and prepared to do so. Finally, I couldn’t do it.

  5. Living the life of an artist, have you ever had a tough time or wanted to give up this job?

  Every day is hard, but there hasn’t been a moment when I wanted to give up because I love this work. Since childhood, I have liked drawing, so I wouldn’t branch off now. Not only do I draw pictures but I also mix various things unlike other artists, so I don’t use to one thing or get bored easily.

 6. It is impressive to live with pictures and writing every day, and not to live your daily life on a mobile phone with digital pictures and texts. What do you think about the current state of digitalization?

 Whatever it is, there are always pros and cons. There are merits and demerits of the analog age and the digital age. I was often taking the pictures in the past. Especially, working about urban space, I had a particular space for urban picture taking for a year, so the rolls of film cost a great deal of money. In the analog era, if we take pictures, there is no guarantee that the photograph will come out well because we need to have the picture developed. However, after the digital camera emerged, it doesn’t cost much to take as many pictures as you want. This point is the merit that the digital era has. But, there is also a problem. As a movie example, in the old times, a director made the movie with many films. Therefore, he carefully prepared in advance and filmed on the spot. These days we can use the film infinitely, so the need to plan shooting gets slack.

 7. When you compare your work with other artists, what part do you think is competitive?

 I don’t follow what others do because I think I’d rather not do what everyone else does. I can’t fully boast about my drawing if I do how others draw. Nevertheless, as I draw roughly and block the picture in to put discrimination with others, so some people misunderstand me. I think that to pretend to draw a poor painting is rather difficult for me. (Laugh)

 8. In daily life, sometimes documenting life through the text and photo on a smartphone is good, but it also seems that picture and essay in an analog way may be better.

 I think nowadays people have an obsession that they have to draw very well when they say, ‘I drew a picture!’ But, if you simply regard the drawing as a method of expressing yourself, and not regard it as something to show to others, you can feel comfortable when drawing. It is natural to become nervous in others’ consciousness. But if you rely too much on others, there can be things like compensation. It means that one’s painting should be recognized by others. When such things are broken, you might suffer from stress. So, I want to tell such people that the most important thing is finding your style. Just remember children’s book author, Andersen, was also not good at drawing but the picture is very attractive.

 9. Finally, what kind of artist do you want to be remembered as?

 I just want to be remembered as ‘the artist who played well in my era.’ In my 20s, when being questioned like this, I used to do a witty saying. For instance, like the saying, ‘I would like to be the artist who is like the wind and can’t be caught in nets.’ The wind can’t be seen, nor can it be touched. In short, it is a non-capturer. Some artists want to be repeatedly captured in one thing. It is to imprint his style on the public. However, I think such things are not funny in the life of the artist discussing creativity. I want to be an artist who doesn’t capture one thing, but who expressed real meaning in many ways.

 Are you reluctant to record your daily life through writings and drawings because you are not a professional writer or you are a poor drawer? When it comes to such a reason, write and draw now. As Kim Taeheon said, writing or drawing is a good way to record your instant emotion and your memory. You should realize that it is your moment, not a chance to show off for others. We could be a William Shakespeare and a Leonardo da Vinci in our world. From now on, why don’t you take up a pen or brush when recalling a part of your daily life?