interview with hip-hop's biggest dorks... Epik High

Epik High Gets Serious About Music

Epik High talks to The Korea Times about starting their new company, their music and their upcoming concert tour in the United States, Japan and Korea, as well as their enduring friendship. / Korea Times
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

``Expect the unexpected.'' That's what Tablo, frontman of popular hip-hop group Epik High, says fans can expect from their upcoming concert tour in the United States, Japan and Korea.

But he might as well have been talking about Epik High's career. The trio, composed of Tablo, Mithra Jin and DJ Tukutz, burst onto the Korean music scene six years ago, armed with catchy hip-hop tunes with socially relevant lyrics and a positive message.

After five studio albums and numerous hit songs and awards under their belt, Epik High members surprised everyone with their decision to break from a major record label and go independent.

The band met with The Korea Times last week at a studio in Hongdae, where members were in the middle of rehearsals for their upcoming concert tour and candidly talked about the ups and downs of starting their own company.

``When our contract ended, we had a lot of offers. The hardest thing about this project was deciding that money is not important and what was more important for us was music,'' Tablo said.

Epik High recently launched its own bilingual Web site (www.mapthesoul.com) where fans can watch their videos and live performances, read members' blogs and buy their albums and merchandise from an online shop. In fact, the band's latest album, ``Hon: Map the Soul,'' can't be bought in any conventional or online stores in Korea at all. The decision to deviate from established distribution services stemmed from Epik High's desire to make its music more affordable to fans.

While some called Epik High's new venture ``groundbreaking,'' the group didn't exactly plan on redefining the music industry's business model. They just simply wanted to ``do things that are fun.''

``We realized at some point… the entire money making machine, if we're part of that, its not going to be fun. … Most of the stuff we do right now, it doesn't make money. We're spending money to do things like managing the site, creating it, doing online shows. But if it helps us to feel satisfied to the point that we make better music then it is worth it. It's a lot more work than before, honestly. We barely get any sleep, but it's good stress,'' Tablo said.

Their album "Hon: Map The Soul" is all about making music the Epik High way, even if it won't do well commercially.

``We know that and we don't care. Just because it is not a hit, it doesn't mean it isn't a musical success. We prefer the latter,'' Mithra said.

However, their lyrics have gotten them in trouble with censors, leading to some songs being banned from the airwaves.

``We're talking about the value of believing in yourself and the song gets banned. When that happens, its like what are we supposed to talk about? … Our stand is: if you want to ban us, ban us. We don't care. The people who support us and listen to us will still like us anyway,'' Tablo said.

More Foreign Fans

Since the album is only sold through the band's Web site, sales in Korea have been lower than in previous ventures, but sales to overseas fans have increased ten-fold. The songs are also available for downloading on iTunes online shops worldwide.

``We found out we had more foreign fans than we realized. There are fans in Europe, like Norway, and around Asia. Many of the fans don't understand Korean, but they love our music,'' Tukutz said.

This only served to push Epik High to work harder. Whenever members post videos or write blog entries in Korean, they make efforts to include English translations.

Epik High will be holding concerts in Kobe and Tokyo this week, and San Francisco, Seattle, New York and Los Angeles next month. They hope to hold concerts in other countries in the future.

Mithra says Epik High wants fans to have a ``chill time'' at their concerts, featuring mostly Korean songs because the band wants to show the beauty of the Korean language to an international crowd.

Throughout the interview, the Epik High members ― who consider themselves dorks ― proved to be as funny as they seem on the videos they posted on YouTube.

While talking about the members' responsibilities in the new company, it was revealed that Tukutz was in charge of public relations and producing the music, while Mithra was in charge of creating merchandise and writing songs. ``And I just hang out with my girlfriend (actress Kang Hye-jung) and take their money,'' Tablo joked.

Of course, it's not true that Tablo, rapper and lyricist, does nothing: He proudly admitted he cooks meals for the band and company employees, which prompted Tukutz to quip that they're served with just ``cup noodles.''

Amid all the joking and teasing, it was almost too hard to figure out whether or not they were serious. But one thing's for sure: Epik High is nothing but serious when it comes to having fun.

``Even if we fail, it's going to be fun because we're with people that we love ... We take care of each other. That's more important than music, money or this entire industry,'' Tablo said.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

skirts all around

Prada Transformer Opens in Seoul

Some of the most outstanding skirts from Miuccia Prada's collection from 1988 to the present are exhibited as part of the ``Waist Down'' exhibition at the Prada Transformer. / Courtesy of organizers
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

Italian luxury goods giant Prada unveiled its most ambitious cultural project to date, the Prada Transformer, in Seoul, Thursday.

Built on the grounds of the 16th century Gyeonghui Palace in downtown Seoul, the Prada Transformer is a one-of-a-kind tetrahedron-shaped pavilion designed by renowned architect Rem Koolhaas' Office for Metropolitan Architecture.

Designer Miuccia Prada and her husband, Prada CEO Patrizio Bertelli, as well as Koolhaas, were in Seoul for the inauguration of the Transformer pavilion.

The Prada Transformer will be the venue for events devoted to art, film, fashion and of course, the Prada brand, for the next six months. Koolhaas described the Transformer as a ``dynamic organism,'' since the steel-framed structure can be rotated into four distinct floor planes: hexagonal, rectangular, cruciform and circular, to fit the specific events.

Bertelli said the choice of Seoul for the Transformer project is the company's recognition of the importance of Asia and its rapid development of business and culture.

Tomaso Galli, Prada group communications and external relations director, said the project represents the culmination of the Prada's long-standing interest in art, architecture, fashion and film. ``At Prada, the day to day work for fashion is to set trends and innovate every six months when we do our fashion shows in Milan, but today you have to go beyond that. This project is the way we can contribute to the world that goes beyond fashion,'' Galli told reporters, Wednesday.

The first event to be held at the Transformer is ``Waist Down ― Skirts by Miuccia Prada,'' featuring 65 of the most outstanding skirts from Prada's collections since 1988. The exhibit first opened in 2004 at the Prada Epicenter, Aoyama, Tokyo, and has traveled to Shanghai, New York and Los Angeles.

``Before the exhibition was shown in an existing space like a hotel or shopping district, so we always inhabit someone else's house. Now, we have created our own space. Here, it is totally free. The space was made to integrate the exhibition. There's a huge dynamism that we can enjoy here,'' Kayoko Ota, exhibition curator, told The Korea Times.

Ota said Prada unleashes her creativity in her favorite form, the skirt. With all the skirts that Prada has designed, it was difficult to pick which skirts to show, so Ota relied on intuition and picked the most eye-catching skirts.

Prada's skirts are full of ``curious contradictions.'' A skirt made of military uniform material has been embellished with glass beads and exquisite embroidery, transforming something utilitarian like a uniform into an utterly feminine creation.

Ota pointed to another skirt made of metal discs, which caught everyone's attention because of its noisy swishing sound. ``It's very noisy and in a way, very impractical, unless you're thinking of haute couture. But this is one unique point about Miuccia Prada. As a woman, she tries to have more courage and more fun. Why not? Why not make a skirt that makes noise and have some fun? ... There's also the clarity of idea. The other skirts may look simple, but the material is not. Sometimes, the skirts exaggerate motion and other times, it can restrict mobility as a kind of humor,'' Ota said.

The skirts are displayed in unique ways, some are spinning or moving from side-to-side, while others are glowing with lights underneath. A few skirts look like delicate flowers packed in vacuum-sealed plastic, while skirts made of rigid materials are displayed like sculptural busts.

Gigantic two-dimensional mannequins, which show images of skirts worn by models, are placed all over the pavilion's walls and ceilings.

Adding a touch of Korean flavor to the exhibition, eight skirts designed by Korean fashion students have been included. The skirts reflect the traditional Korean culture and aesthetics, but with a very contemporary feel.

At the end of May, the Transformer will be rotated to create a new cinema auditorium for the film festival ``Flesh, Mind and Soul.'' Mexican director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and film critic Elvis Mitchell specially chose the films to be shown.

The building will once again be rotated for the contemporary art exhibition ``Beyond Control,'' curated by Prada Foundation artistic director Germano Celant. The special closing event has yet to be announced.

Admission is free. Visit www.pradatransformer.co.kr.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

epik high world tour

Epik High Embarks on World Tour

Epik High will go on a world tour, with concerts in Japan, Korea and United States. / Courtesy of organizers
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

Hip-hop group Epik High is embarking on its first ever ``Map the Soul" world tour, with concerts in Seoul, Tokyo, Kobe, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle and San Francisco through May.

``Epik High's `Map the Soul' World Tour is not only the biggest K-pop tour of 2009 to hit America but also the first time ever a Korean artist has launched a world tour to support a worldwide album release," organizers said.

Composed of Tablo, Mithra Jin and DJ Tukutz, Epik High is one of the most popular hip-hop groups in Korea. The band has recently gone independent and has produced a special album, ``Map the Soul." The new album is exclusively available from their Web site (www.mapthesoul.com), and can be downloaded from Apple's iTunes online store worldwide.

The band kicks off its tour April 26 at Wynterland, in Kobe, Japan, followed by a performance at Shibuya Ax in Tokyo, April 28.

Epik High returns to Seoul May 2 for a concert at the Melon-AX before heading to the United States. Fans can catch the band's performances May 15 at Treasure Island, San Francisco; May 16 at House of Blues, Los Angeles; May 22 at Hiro Ballroom, New York City and May 23 at King Cat Theater, Seattle.

Joining Epik High for its world tour are urban musician MYK, rapper Kero One and Beatbox DG. Battle MC Dumfoundead will be hosting the show in L.A., while Asian-American hip-hop group Far East Movement will be performing with Epik High on their U.S. shows.

For the concerts in Japan, tickets are available at www.sound-c.co.jp and www.red-hot.ne.jp. For the Seoul concert, visit ticket.interpark.com, and for concerts in the U.S., visit www.cgnlive.com.

Meanwhile, Epik High gave a preview of what fans can expect from its up-coming concert tour on new music show MTV The Stage, Saturday evening.

Epik High electrified the small crowd of fans that gathered at MTV Korea studios in Chungmuro, with fresh songs from their latest album, such as ``Map the Soul," ``Top Gun," ``Cipher" and ``Believe." Some of their new songs were banned from the major broadcasting networks, but Epik High seemed to relish the chance to play the songs for MTV Korea.

Fans went wild when the band performed some of their old songs, like ``Pyeonghwa-eui Nal,'' ``Breakdown," ``Love Love Love," and an acoustic version of ``One." Tablo even invited MYK to perform an impromptu freestyle rap session, which had the audience amazed at their rapping skills. The show ended on a high note, with the crowd-pleasing ``Fly."

MTV The Stage featuring Epik High will air May 14, 12:50 a.m. on MTV Korea. Visit mtv.co.kr.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

Indian Art at MOCA

Open Your Eyes to Indian Art

“The Skin Speaks a Language Not Its Own” by Bharti Kher
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

India has always been a source of fascination, from Alexander the Great to Rudyard Kipling to the Beatles. In the last decade, India's booming economy has fueled renewed interest in its pop culture, especially Bollywood and recently, the Oscar-winning film ``Slumdog Millionaire'' and the infectious song ``Jai Ho.'' Indian contemporary art is also in the spotlight, attracting the attention of major art institutions, collectors and even speculators.

``Open Your Third Eye'' is perhaps one of the largest exhibitions of contemporary Indian art ever in Korea. The exhibition opened Thursday at the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province.

Originally titled ``Chalo! India: A New Era of Indian Art,'' the exhibition first opened at the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo last November.

``The word `chalo' means `let's go!' It's an unusual title for a contemporary art show. It invites (visitors) on a journey to discover the art scene in India and to discover contemporary life and society of India today. At the same time, `chalo' is a friendly word. I tried to put the idea of looking at India through a more intimate gaze rather than through exotic eyes. This is also a reflection of the different dynamics in India right now, the economy, art scene, and all kinds of meaning put together in the word, `chalo','' curator Miki Akiko told reporters, Thursday.

Akiko made several trips to India, particularly to the cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Vadodara. She visited 60 artists' studios, before picking 100 artworks by 27 artists and artist groups for the show.

The exhibition explores the current state of Indian contemporary art, and captures the vibrant energy and changes of Indian society.

The first section ``Prologue: Journeys'' features pieces that incorporate traditional Indian motifs. Visitors may be surprised to find a life-sized female elephant at the entrance of the exhibition. For ``The Skin Speaks a Language Not Its Own,'' Bharti Kher used millions of bindis, shaped like sperm, to cover the elephant skin. A bindi is an ornamental dot placed on a woman's forehead as a sign of being married.

Throughout the exhibition space, there are 10 different chairs created by N.S. Harsha. The chairs are meant for the ``guards'' to protect the items placed beside it, such as a rice bag or a book.

A. Balasubramaniam's ``Kaayam'' features flattened molds of his own body and placed as if it was part of the wall. He said the word Kaayam has three meanings, body, womb and the phrase, ``this will go away.''

In the second section, ``Creation and Destruction: Urban Landscape,'' artists ponder on life and contradictions in modern India.

Krishnaraj Chonat's ``The Coracle'' is a jacuzzi tub-turned-boat filled with a hodge podge of junk, all painted in white. Chonat explained that the boat's round shape means it can go anywhere, and the inclusion of a pair of binoculars indicate it doesn't know where to go next.

The third section ``Reflections: Between Extremes'' is an interplay of contrasts and conflicts. Anant Joshi's multimedia installation ``Naval One and the Many,'' which features hundreds of colorful, cheap toys rotating on skewer sticks, is a commentary on the hectic urban life. `` While we're looking at it, we're also experiencing it. Even though we want to get away, we're constantly trapped by it,'' he said.



In the fourth section ``Fertile Chaos,'' the art works deal with the Indian people, their dreams and issues of nation, history, identity and gender. Design team Thukral & Tagra's kitschy work ``Phantom IX-B,'' which is featured on the exhibition ticket, reflects the consumerist desire of young Indians today.

The final section ``Epilogue: Individuality and Collectivity/ Memory and Future'' deals with individual and collective experiences of the past and future. In ``Tryst With Destiny,'' Shilpa Gupta's voice singing the text of a famous speech by India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru is broadcast from a microphone-shaped speaker.

``India and Korea share a similar historical and social background: Both countries were under the colonial rule; their cities underwent major changes; with their economic growth, the gap between rich and poor has been widening; they sometimes experienced the cognitive and cultural lag. In this respect, the artworks shown at this exhibition let us reflect on our own lives from a critical perspective,'' said museum curator Kim Na-min.

The exhibit runs through June 7. Admission is 5,000 won. To get there, get off at Seoul Grand Park Station Line 4, Exit 4. A shuttle bus to the museum is available Call (02) 2188-6000 or visit www.moca.go.kr.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam Stays Strong After 19 Years

This photo of Seattle-based band Pearl Jam was taken in 1991. Eighteen years after their debut album was released, Pearl Jam has issued a new remix version of "Ten." / Courtesy of SonyBMG
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

Pearl Jam, along with other bands from Seattle such as Nirvana and Soundgarden, defined the grunge music scene in the early 1990s. The genre resonated with teenagers around the world, with its mix of punk-heavy, metal-indie rock music and angst-laden lyrics.

More than 19 years later, grunge music is just a distant memory, but Pearl Jam is still together and going strong.

Formed in 1990, the band is composed of guitarist Stone Gossard, bassist Jeff Ament, guitarist Mike McCready, drummer Matt Cameron and lead singer Eddie Vedder.

And they admitted they are quite amazed the group has stuck together for so long and will be celebrating their 20th anniversary next year.

``It's pretty insane that we've lasted 20 years. At the start, I guessed we might make three or four records, have a little bit of success and we would have gotten to play with some of our heroes. Probably the biggest fringe benefit is that we've shared stages with Iggy Pop, Henry Rollins, REM, Neil Young, the Rolling Stones and Frank Black, the list goes on and on. That's the little kid's dream come true, being able to play with all those incredible bands and artists that we grew up loving and we still love,'' Ament said.

The idea that Pearl Jam could go on performing for the next 10 or 20 years excites the band members. ``It would be thrilling if it happened ― if we all looked at each other 10 to 20 years from now and went, `How did we do this?' We'd have to play a crotchety `Even Flow' with disco brushes. Our fans are gonna be so old they're not going to be able to hear us anyway so maybe we can be video transformed to look 30 years younger,'' Gossard laughed.

It's probably still difficult to believe that a group of scraggly haired guys wearing plaid shirts and Doc Marten boots would go on to sell millions of records. The band was originally named Mookie Blaylock after the NBA player, but they changed their name to Pearl Jam when they released their debut album in August 1991.

``Ten,'' named after Blaylock's jersey number, spawned the hit songs ``Alive,'' ``Jeremy'' and ``Even Flow,'' and sold over 12 million copies. Despite its success, Pearl Jam was not very happy with the way the album turned out.

``Early on I found out it was better to make bad art yourself than to have somebody else create what they thought would represent you. Ed and I have always been super hands on with all our art and 'Ten' was the one time in Pearl Jam where the finished product really wasn't 100 percent what we intended,'' Ament said.

Their dissatisfaction with the original version was the reason why the band recently re-issued it with new remixes of all the songs and a handful of unreleased tracks.

``I think 'Ten' is still good but I don't put it on (laughs). The new mix of the record is great. One of the things I'm most excited about is Brendan O'Brien doing another mix on it ― it sounds a little bit more like our subsequent records sounded, so it gives it a different treatment,'' Gossard said.

As for their favorite songs from the album, McCready chose ``Alive'' because ``people respond to it very well and (it) has an emotional attachment to it,'' while Cameron cites ``Even Flow,'' ``the quintessential Pearl Jam song.''

For Gossard and Ament, their favorite is ``Oceans.'' Gossard says the song ``probably sums up why I get excited about song writing,'' while Ament says it showed the band was pushing the envelope with its sound.

Pearl Jam attributes its longevity to the fact that members give each other space. McCready says the ``reason why we've lasted so long is we write music, we get very intense, we go away from each other, do our own thing and then we get back together.''

``I'm the luckiest guy in the world because I get to be in a band and write songs in a band with 5 songwriters. I get to learn from everybody's process of how a song structures change and how different people hear different rhythms and melodies. … I get to play with Matt Cameron, I get to play with Eddie Vedder, come on! And I get to strum along,'' Gossard added.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

Life is Just a Cup of Cake

Gourmet Cupcakes at 'Life Is Just a Cup of Cake'

Cupcakes at Life Is Just a Cup of Cake/ Korea Times Photo by Cathy Rose A. Garcia
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

The cupcake craze is slowly but surely creeping into Seoul. The popularity of cupcakes may have something to do with ``Sex & the City,'' which prominently featured the delectable cupcakes from the famous Magnolia Bakery in New York City.

As a result, cupcakes have become the ``in'' thing, with cupcake shops sprouting up all over the city.

Sure, these gourmet cupcakes look cute and sumptuous. At an average price of 4,500 won to 5,000 won each, these small cupcakes are pretty expensive. But are they worth it?

We went to Life is Just a Cup of Cake, a cafe located near Itaewon Hotel, to find out. Aside from its quirky name, the shop stands out in the area because of its quaint country-style exterior.

When you enter the cafe, there's a glass case filled with cupcakes with colorful frosting. It was difficult to choose, since everything looked appealing.

The first bite of the All About Chocolate cupcake revealed a somewhat dry base. But once you take a bite, there's a moist chocolate center. The good thing about the frosting is that it's not sickeningly sweet like those at other cupcake shops.

The Blueberry Cream Cheese cupcake had creamy purple frosting and a tiny blueberry on top. It was moist, and the frosting was sweet, with a hint of blueberry flavor.

If you like your cupcake with a slight tang, the Lemon cupcake is for you. With its white cream frosting, this refreshing cupcake is perfect for spring. On the other hand, the original Vanilla cupcake didn't really make much of an impression.

But what we unanimously loved was the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip cupcake. The peanut butter frosting was simply addictive, and the cupcake itself had a few chocolate chip bits.

All the cupcakes are freshly baked, although special flavors such as Banana Cream Cheese, Cinnamon Sugar, Lemon and Peanut Butter are not available every day.

The shop also has a selection of coffee drinks, both hot and cold. The iced coffee drinks are served in a tall glass. An iced latte costs 5,000 won.

The cupcakes are a bit expensive, especially when people are trying to cut back on unnecessary expenses. Then again, getting something sweet and tasty like a cupcake might just be the thing to take your mind off the hard times. And for 4,500 won, that's a bargain.

To get to Life is Just a Cup of Cake, get off at Itaewon Station Line 6, Exit 2. Walk straight towards Itaewon Hotel. Turn left at the second alley after the hotel. The shop is located right next to the Korean restaurant Shigolbapsang.

Visit www.cupcake.co.kr or call (02) 794-2908.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

Insane Park

Artist Recreates Popular Figures

"Why So Serious?" by Insane Park / Courtesy of Gallery GodoBy Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

Portraits of famous figures such as Albert Einstein, James Dean, Kim Il-sung, Osama bin Laden and Heath Ledger line the walls of Shinhan Gallery, in Gwanghwamun, downtown Seoul.

From afar, the art works look like the grainy, lined images of old black-and-white television screens. But upon a closer look, one realizes the pieces are made out of black TV cable.

Korean artist Insane Park created portraits of these widely recognizable figures for his on-going exhibition ``The Attack by Media.''

In an interview with The Korea Times at the gallery last week, Park said the works are his reaction to the dominating influence of the mass media in today's society.

``I use well-known images of famous people in the media. I would see all these images of famous people from the television every day. We see it even though we don't want to. We don't even know much about these people, who we see on TV, in movies and in music. I feel very much `attacked' by these images when I see them,'' he said.


“Che” by Insane Park / Courtesy of Gallery GodoPark graduated from Art College, Kyeonggi University with a degree in Western Painting in 2008. Initially, he was using more traditional materials, such as acrylic paint, for his works. Last year, he started experimenting with coaxial cable.

He would place the black cable on boards' surfaces and then proceed to cut, fray and grind the surfaces of the cable, slowly uncovering the wires underneath to create a portrait. It would take about a week to finish a medium-sized work, and more than two weeks for a large one.

Park counts Damien Hirst, Andy Warhol and Marcel Duchamp as his artistic influences. His portraits are based on iconic images of prominent people and fictional characters, such as screen legend Marilyn Monroe, rap star Eminem and Superman's alter ego, Clark Kent.

In ``Why So Serious,'' he recreated the grotesque face of the Joker, as played by the late Australian actor Heath Ledger in the film ``Dark Knight.'' The title refers to the Joker's famous quote.

Another piece combines two contrasting figures, the saintly Mother Teresa and Japanese porn star Sora Aoi.

Art critic Chang Suk-won praised Park's work, saying it is ``notable in that it realistically reveals ways of contemporary life to pursue the meaning of one's existence in the flood of images (from the media).''

Park, whose real name is Young-duck, decided to change his first name to Insane when he became an artist. ``There was already a gallery with the same name (Park Young-duck) and I didn't like that. I chose the name `Insane' because it means crazy. I'm usually normal and ordinary, but when I start working on my art, I become brave and crazy,'' he said.

``And people will remember an artist with a name like Insane,'' Park added, with a small smile.

Park's first solo exhibition, which is part of the 2009 Shinhan Bank's Young Artist Festa, runs through April 25. Admission is free.

To get there, get off Gwanghwamun Station, Line 5, Exit 6. The gallery is located at the Shinhan Bank building next to Koreana Hotel. Visit www.shinhanmuseum.co.kr or call (02) 722-8493.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

Rachael Yamagata

Singer Rachael Yamagata to Take Stage for First Time in Seoul

Rachael Yamagata will perform at her first concert in Seoul on April 17 at M Theater at Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul.By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

Her name might not quite ring a bell, but you might have already heard American singer Rachael Yamagata's soulful songs in movies like ``Elizabethtown" and ``Prime," and TV shows such as ``The O.C.," ``Grey's Anatomy," and ``The L Word." Fans of the Korean drama ``One Fine Day'' (2006) might even remember hearing one of her songs, ``I'll Find a Way."

Yamagata will hold her first concert in Seoul on April 17, as part of ``The Beautiful Singer-Songwriter Series at the Theater.''

``(Fans) can expect a dynamic set with a combination of ballads and pure anthemic rock songs. I'm bringing a cellist and the strings add so much! I'm so excited to be coming and will see all soon,'' she said, in an email interview with The Korea Times.

Yamagata and her twin brother Benji were born to a Japanese-American father and an Italian-German mother in 1977. As a child, she always sang and played the piano.

``I was constantly writing little improv songs. In high school I did a lot of music theater, and in college, while I was studying theater, I fell in love with a Chicago band and switched gears. All I knew was that I had to be up on stage with them and everything changed after that," she said.

She joined the funk-fusion band Bumpus as a vocalist. For six years, she wrote songs, recorded three albums and toured with the band.

In 2001, she decided to go solo and signed a record deal. It took a few years, but her first full-length album, ``Happenstance,'' was released in 2004 and received critical praise. Produced by John Alagia (who has worked with John Mayer and Dave Matthews), the album featured hit songs like ``Be Be Your Love," ``Worn Me Down" and ``1963."

While preparing for her second album, Yamagata spent nine months in seclusion in Woodstock, just concentrating on music, and writing some 160 songs.

``I loved doing it. I changed my schedule around completely. I'd chain smoke and drink wine and get up to write by candlelight at 4 in the morning. I'd work until about 11a.m. and go back to sleep for a bit. Work again and be in bed by 7:30 p.m., only to do it all over again. I was really influenced by nature and the seclusion. There was something about that quarantine (which) really let my imagination go," she said.

The result is a much darker album, ``Elephants… Teeth Sinking Into Heart," which is divided into two parts. ``The first is almost a film score ― very cinematic and lush with the vocals sounding like a secret. The songs are a bit poetic, with a lot of introspection and searching as themes. `Teeth' has more sass and edge to it, gritty pulp fiction/ surf guitar driven songs from a confident point of view of someone who's been run through the mill, but can stand through it and have a sense of humor on the other side. It feels like a more communal experience, while `Elephants' is a very solo one," she explained.

Considered one of the best singer-songwriters around today, 31-year-old Yamagata offered some advice for aspiring artists.

``Just make it your own…Whatever you are doing, use everything true and vulnerable and unique about you as YOU and it will shine. Lyrics ― don't settle for what's been done before. Twist the phrase a bit and find your own expression. As for the secret (to success)? I'd say, do what you love ― like everyone says, but it's true ― and everything else will fall into place," she said.

Even though her music has been featured in numerous TV shows and movies, Yamagata is still hoping ``Lost'' will use one of her songs.

``In fact, if they ever called and wanted me to wash up onshore and be an `other' ― I'd probably give up music,'' she joked.

Foreign and Korean artists will stage concerts at the M Theater, Sejong Center for the Performing Arts from April 16 to 26. Performers include Raul Midon, Lasse Lindh, Jang Ki-ha & Faces, Jung Jae-hyung, Zitten, Yozoh, Cho Kyu-chan, Kim Gwang-jin and Bulnabang Star Sausage Club.

Tickets for the concerts range from 44,000 to 77,000 won. Call 02-563-7110 or visit ticket.interpark.com. E-mail info@privatecurve.com for English inquiries

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

George Condo

George Condo’s First Show in Seoul

American artist George Condo is holding his first Seoul exhibition at the Seomi & Tuus House, Cheongdamdong.

/ Courtesy of Sara Fuller

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

Pot-bellied superheroes smoking cigarettes, nude women with disfigured faces, wicked-looking clowns and a scoundrel named Rodrigo are just some of the eccentric characters that inhabit the paintings of renowned American artist George Condo.

Condo, known as a master of ``artificial realism,'' is finally having his first show in Seoul. Nine of his darkly humorous paintings and three bronze sculptures are currently on display at the Seomi & Tuus House, in Cheongdam-dong, through April 29.

Unfortunately, Condo couldn't make it to Seoul for his first solo show, but he managed a telephone interview with The Korea Times from his home in New York.

Born in Concord, New Hampshire in 1957, Condo has dabbled in art and classical music since he was a child. ``It was a contest between music and art. Art finally won out. By 18 or 19, I decided I was more into painting, I was better at it,'' he said.

After moving to Boston, he found himself joining a punk rock band called The Girls. ``We went to New York and on our first night, we played at a club. The other band playing that night was called Gray, Jean-Michel Basquiat's band. The first guy I met in New York that night was Basquiat,'' he said.

Soon after moving to New York, the band broke up. ``We realized that if we became known as rock stars, there would be no way we would be taken seriously as painters. We wouldn't get any respect, so it was better to quit now before anything good actually happened,'' he laughed.

To make ends meet, Condo found a job working for Andy Warhol's factory. At first, he had to write press releases, and then to make silkscreen prints.

``Three years later, Warhol and Keith Haring went into a gallery and they bought three paintings each. Later when I met Warhol, I didn't tell him I worked for him. I felt he might be disappointed to find out I was diamond dusting his prints a few years ago. I felt Andy didn't have much respect for the people who were working for him. … But I considered it a great moment. I was lucky to be working for Andy Warhol,'' he said.


"The Superhero" by George Condo is on display at Seomi & Tuus House, Cheongdam-dong.

/ Courtesy of Seomi & Tuus

Condo continued to pursue art, delving in ``artificial realism,'' which he says is the realistic representation of anything artificial. ``This wouldn't have been possible if the world wasn't as plastic or as artificial as it was in the mid-20th century,'' he said.

In his art works, he's created a cast of wildly unusual characters named Jean Louis and Rodrigo (whom he described as a ``scoundrel and a parking lot attendant.'')

``I guess you can say I manufacture the characters in the same way a playwright comes up with the lives of characters. … Jean Louis and Rodrigo are serial characters. They live out a life that I never could. They live out a life while I'm in a room painting. They're experiencing life for me,'' he said.

Condo employs the Old Masters techniques in his works, inspired by Surrealism, Pop Art, Modernism, Italian Renaissance and Spanish Baroque.

After talking about art, Condo steers the conversation to the issue on everyone's mind: the economic crisis. He noted there's a prevailing mood of gloom among art circles, especially in New York and London.

``Art is a luxury. The people who buy (art), they're also in a crisis. Galleries are also getting nervous. The atmosphere is doom and gloom, and everyone is always talking about how awful the art world is, how bad the art fair was. When this happens, they stop focusing on the art,'' he said.

Despite the depressing atmosphere in the art world, Condo said the main objective of his art is to ``turn something negative into positive.''

``It's already depressing out there. But my goal is not to make people laugh. I just reflect the way it is in my art, and do it not in a way that is dated by the time it was made. Three years from now, people won't say that `Oh, it was made during the great crisis of 09.' Hopefully, the characters transcend time,'' he said.

Visit www.seomituus.com or call (02) 511-7305.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

Michael Scoggins

Michael Scoggins Reveals Childhood Memories

Michael Scoggins poses in front of his work during an interview with The Korea Times about his gigantic notebook paper pieces, currently shown at Seomi & Tuus Gallery, Gahoe-dong, Seoul.
/ Korea Times Photo by Cathy Rose A. Garcia
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

American artist Michael Scoggins fills gigantic sheets of white notebook paper with childishly-written notes about crushes and drawings of intergalactic Star Wars battles, colorful families, funny monkeys, robots and soldiers.

On the surface, the drawings may look like the work of a child and not an adult. But a closer look at the art works reveals the artist's brutally honest thoughts, childhood memories, experiences and views.

Since his works exposes his personal experiences to the public, Scoggins is always extremely nervous, sometimes to the point of being sick, just before his exhibition opens.

``I get really nervous when I'm showing personal works. I think it's a good thing because when I'm nervous, it shows that (the work) is actually doing what it's supposed to. If I can stand at the opening and feel uncomfortable with people reading my secrets, personal life, I think the works are successful,'' he told the Korea Times at the Seomi & Tuus Gallery, in Gahoe-dong, last week.

While Scoggins admitted he was nervous before the opening of his first solo exhibition in Seoul, fortunately, he didn't get sick.

The New York-based artist has always been drawing since he was a child. In college, he double majored in studio art and political science. ``I was either going to be an artist or a politician,'' he laughed.

His early oil paintings featured political characters, in a style inspired by Philip Guston. Later on, he made sketches of stick figures in notebooks, and realized ``it looked so much better than the actual paintings.''

He started creating giant pieces of notebook paper and using crayons, pencils and color markers, straight out of the box. The paper looks like it's mass-produced, but Scoggins makes it himself. He cuts out the paper from a large roll and draws lines on both the front and back, and makes it look like it was torn from an ordinary notebook (if notebooks come in 67 inch x 51 inch sizes).

For his early works, Scoggins got ideas from his old childhood letters and drawings that his mother had saved throughout the years, resulting in more revealing text-based pieces, first shown during his thesis exhibition for graduate school.

Scoggins tries not to ``edit'' himself when choosing what to reveal in his pieces. ``I won't say I don't because I think I do, but part of the idea is to overcome that. … There are times when I check myself and think, `this is too close to home.' But its all about breaking down barriers between the artist and the viewer,'' he added.

Scoggins' show in Seoul features 13 new art works that he made this year. It includes a new addition to his ``All-American Family,'' where he makes portraits of racially and culturally diverse families. ``Everyone can be all-American. I insert myself in every piece and every family. I can be part of the American family. It's trying to overcome all the differences and revel in the differences,'' he said.

Some of the pieces have political undertones. ``Good Guys Again'' is dated Jan. 20, 2009, the same day as the inauguration of U.S. President Barack Obama, while ``Wheels Come Off'' deals with the fascination with war.

Scoggins reveals his personal side in some of the pieces such as ``Huge (secret) crush,'' and ``How I Remember Break-ups #1 (Kim).''

``I like to play with the idea of memory a lot and how memory changes over time. I like the idea when you break up with someone and there are the actual events versus the events you remember. Memory fascinates me because I don't have a very good memory,'' Scoggins said.

Asked if any of his friends or ex-girlfriends have ever complained about being ``included'' in his artworks, Scoggins says he's had a few complaints.

``The way I tell them and myself is the work is more about me, how I remember things and how it made me feel. Its not about them, it just happened that they're part of that experience. It's not a personal attack ... But some people don't see it that way sometimes. I've had people come back and say it wasn't what happened. It wouldn't be hard if I don't make somebody upset right, he laughed.

The exhibition runs through May 1 at Seomi & Tuus Gallery. Call (02) 3675-8232.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

iwannastayhere

The Opposite House Showcases Chinese Art

Wang Jin's fashion item "Dream of China" at The Opposite House in Beijing
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

While most high-end hotels are usually decorated with unobtrusive, not-so-memorable art pieces, The Opposite House in Beijing boasts of a collection of Chinese artworks revolving around the theme of fashion and design.

The Opposite House, a striking six-story building with an emerald green facade designed by famed Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, may look more like a cool art gallery or a very stylish office building.

This ``intriguing urban hotel'' is a showcase for unique works by young contemporary Chinese artists such as Wang Jin, Li Xiao Feng, Chen Qing Qing, Fiona Wong, Kum Chi Keung and Pamela See.

Alex Chen, assistant director for sales and communications at The Opposite House, said the hotel's location, in the middle of The Village at Sanlitun, a new leisure, shopping and cultural development, greatly influenced the choice of fashion-inspired art works on display.

``We thought of how to relate The Opposite House with the retail section of The Village at Sanlitun. It's all retail, clothing and fashion related shops. Our art consultant, Alison Pickett, said `let's do fashion art.' So now we have a beautiful qi pao made of porcelain, and there's an imperial robe made of clear plastic PVC,'' Chen told The Korea Times, last week.

Li Xiao Feng's ``Beijing Memory no. 1'' and ``Beijing Memory No. 2'' are qi pao, or traditional Chinese dresses made of shattered blue and white Ming and Qing dynasty porcelain. Fiona Wong sewed together white and chocolate-colored terracotta pieces with copper wire to make the armor-like pieces ``White Wings'' and ``Black Flower.''

For ``Dream of China,'' Wang Jin created an ancient Emperor-style dragon robe made of PVC plastic, embroidered with colored fishing wire and hung against a dark brown background. A kimono made of grass and pearls, ``Gown No.1'' by Chen Qing Qing, is on display in the atrium.

Not all the art works revolve around fashion, but all of them were chosen for their distinctive aesthetic qualities.

Pamela See, an artist specializing in traditional paper cutting, made ten oversized white ``Feathers'' suspended in mid air, while Kum Chi Keung created an acrylic and wooden birdcage, ``Intrusion.''

All of the art works were by Chinese artists, not just from mainland China but also artists based in Hong Kong, Australia and the United Kingdom.

While The Opposite House caters to the high-end market, it doesn't close its doors to anyone who might want to drop by the lobby to look at its beautiful art collection.

``We want people to feel like they can go to our hotel and they won't be stared down because they're not guests. … When the weather's nice, we leave the wooden doors open and people can look in. If they come in, we welcome them. People always think we're a museum or art gallery because we don't look like a typical high-end hotel,'' Chen said.

Owned by Swire Properties, The Opposite House's atypical look is owed to architect Kuma, who designed the hotel with the idea of ``creating a spatial experience of light and space.'' The overall theme is ``urban forest,'' hence the use of various elements such as water, wood and metal in the interior design.

It's this sophisticated design aesthetic and emphasis on art and fashion that Chen hopes would attract Korean travelers to The Opposite House. Not to mention the exciting new, innovative restaurants and bars at the hotel.

``If Koreans are into design and want to see what's new and innovative in Beijing, they should stay at The Opposite House. If they are foodies, they would love (restaurant) Bei for its mix of North Asian cuisine. … My firm belief is once you try it out for yourself and get your foot in the door, the hotel will sell itself. The experience will really sell itself and it will become memorable,'' Chen said.

Visit www.theoppositehouse.com.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

fashion week

Black Dominates Seoul Fashion Week

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

Black is back.

Perhaps to match the gloomy economic outlook for the rest of the year, black dominated the catwalks at Seoul Fashion Week, which ended Thursday.

Despite the depressing lack of color, Korean designers still managed to introduce new styles and trends in their fall and winter collections.

Star power certainly helped attract crowds to the Seoul Trade Exhibition Center (SETEC), Daechi-dong, southern Seoul. ``Boys Over Flowers" actors Kim Hyun-joong and Kim Jun, SS501 member Kim Hyung-jun and actress Kim Min-sun turned models on the runway.

Korean celebrities such as Yoon Eun-hye, Hwang-bo, Hwanhee, Ha Jung-woo, Kim Seung-soo and Girls Generation member Yoona attended some of the high-profile fashion shows over the eight-day event.

Tickets to the fashion shows sold like hotcakes. Organizers even had to turn away people at some shows because the halls were already packed.

Men's Wear

As usual, the men's wear collections kicked off fashion week. Most of the designers were particularly inspired by the military look, while other designers sought to reinterpret the classic suit.

Han Sung-hyuk, creative director for Cheil Industries' Mvio brand, presented a collection inspired by the fictional British detective Sherlock Holmes. Camel-colored jackets and coats were accented with herringbone and argyle prints, while pants were cropped at the ankle.

Ultra-stylish gangsters paraded down the runway for Kang Dong-jun's collection, inspired by the crime movie ``Carlito's Way." Models were smoking, literally, as they puffed on cigars while wearing vests, boxy jackets, fedora hats, leather jackets and loose trousers.

Trench coats were all over the men's wear collections. Park Sung-chul showed double-breasted trench coats and cape jackets in khaki. Juun J. transformed the trench coat into military-style ponchos and rider jackets.

Classic suits were given a fresh spin, as seen with the slimmer silhouettes, structured jackets and fitted vests by Park Herin, and asymmetrical double lapels and relaxed silhouettes by Chang Kwang-hyo.

Elements of hip-hop, sports and street style came together at Kim Gyu-sik's ``kstaring by Taste Maximum." In a surprise twist, Kim used androgynous-looking females to model well-cut denim jeans, tough-looking motorcycle jackets and layers of thick scarves.

Women's Collections

Black remained the color of choice for most designers, but thankfully, black was complemented with shades of red, yellow, green, blue and white.

Most designers seemed to forego romantic and overtly luxurious designs, in favor of men's wear-inspired jackets and comfortable coats.

Comfortable style is what Imseonoc presented with her collection of flirty dresses, coats without closures and elastic waist pants. Voluminous silhouettes and toned down colors also characterized Song Jain's collection.

The military wear trend in the men's wear collection seemed to have crossed over to women's wear collections. Moon Young-hee tried to inject femininity in jackets and coats, resulting in pretty peplum jackets and stylish coats, made of silk, satin and wool.

Rising designer Ha Sang-beg presented futuristic military uniform-style jackets, coats and dresses with exaggerated details like pockets and epaulets. Yang Hee-min delivered a ``decadent chic" collection, which included halter-neck jumpsuits, belted slim coats and jodhpurs.

Sweet and romantic looks were not totally gone for the fall/winter collections. Cho Sung-kyong's Latulle line did not disappoint with retro-romantic dresses, floral prints, cardigans and smoking jackets in luxurious silk, wool and fur.

Doii Lee's collection featured shiny metallic leggings, modern kimono-sleeve dresses and dazzling prints inspired by the Japanese fairy tale ``Butterfly Girl."

For his ``Troa by Han Song" collection, Han Song introduced mini dresses with floral prints, multi-colored rosette details and asymmetrical padded jackets and tight ``leg-hugging pants."

While Son Jung-wan used mainly black and dark gray for her elegant and feminine collection, there were bursts of yellow, gold and blue to brighten it up. Models wore plush fur coats, vests and capes, as well as pleated dresses on the catwalk.

Fashion week would not be complete without shows featuring hanbok or Korean traditional dress. Top designer Lee Young-hee never fails to amaze everyone with her innovative hanbok designs. This season, she impressed with sculptural hanbok skirts, pleated dresses and skirts.

Hwang Jae-bock and Bec Jie introduced ultra-feminine evening dresses and wedding gowns that will be the dream of young brides everywhere.

However, not all of the shows were open to the public. Some designers, such as Andy & Debb, Choi Bum-suk and Jung Hee-jung, had small private presentations for professional local and foreign buyers.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr