Episode 17: Portfolio
After class.
Kang Lim returned to the student lounge to catch up on some sleep and then headed back to the studio.
Looking at his phone, he saw that the group chat was buzzing.
[Shin Tae-min: Nice work.]
[Lee Hyunseong: Please add a subject.]
[Shin Tae-min: I omit the obvious.]
[Lee Hyunseong: Crying stick figure emoticon]
[Lee Hyunseong: Seriously, you just pass by my work without even looking at it lol…]
The guy who said nothing about the previous work must have liked this one, as he finally gave a compliment.
‘Indeed, if I’m satisfied with it, others will find it good too. That’s why they say to be honest in your work.’
Feeling proud of having completed the first assignment well, Kang Lim felt a sense of fulfillment.
He had also received praise from Professor Koo Haeyoung.
Smiling, Kang Lim typed a reply.
[Kang Lim: Thanks. lol]
[Kang Lim: Lee Hyunseong might stay in school for 8 years.]
Brrr-
The guy with nothing to do replied quickly.
[Lee Hyunseong: No way… stop saying scary things.]
The unexpected can catch you off guard. It seemed like a predetermined future.
“Sigh… Shall I start cleaning?”
Kang Lim laid out a new broom and a large storage basket he had bought at a stationery store.
It was because he needed to keep the prepared materials tidy for the next time he set up.
“Hey, hey, hey! Stop right there!”
It was a line that a sergeant would say, but the voice was too cute.
Turning around, Kang Lim saw Seoyeon running up and hitting him on the back.
“You crazy! How could you just clean up like that?”
“This time, it’s my turn.”
“…What are you saying? Hold on a second.”
“Why? I need to clean up and bring in Shin Tae-min’s stuff and mine. We have a major class first thing tomorrow.”
“Sigh… That’s why artists need planners.”
Seoyeon was carrying a large black bag and a long tripod on her shoulder.
“Let’s shoot first! I’m a total pro at this. I learned from the best photographer who shoots artworks.”
“Wow… You’re lying.”
“It’s true! Have you been living under a rock?”
Upon closer inspection of Seoyeon’s black bag, there was a logo of a top-tier camera brand.
“Wow. You use expensive stuff? I’ve never even touched gear like that.”
“My uncle gave it to me as a gift.”
“Your uncle must be rich?”
“Well, a little.”
“Then shoot it now.”
“No.”
“What, um… suddenly changing your stance…”
“It’s not that, I’m waiting for the right moment.”
Seoyeon checked her watch on her slender wrist and looked out the window.
Thin clouds were covering the sun, moving slowly.
“It’ll be just a bit longer. Let’s wait.”
“Okay.”
Seoyeon stepped back and set up the camera tripod.
She took out a high-end DSLR body from her bag and attached a full-frame wide-angle lens.
The way she skillfully attached the lens and adjusted the level showed she was no ordinary person.
‘Indeed, with that lens, you can dramatically capture wide spaces. Since the placement around my work is as important as the sculpture in the center.’
As Kang Lim watched Seoyeon concentrating, he suddenly remembered the class he had just attended.
“Oh, right. Sorry about earlier in class.”
“Huh… What about?”
“For unnecessarily asking about Van Gogh when you were explaining your work.”
“Oh~, why make a big deal out of it? It doesn’t matter. I just confirmed I’m not cut out to be an artist.”
Seoyeon remained cool.
“But why couldn’t you answer? There’s no way you didn’t know Van Gogh’s shoe series.”
Seoyeon, who was focusing and adjusting the aperture.
Bringing her finger to her lips, she looked at Kang Lim through the lens.
“Shh. It’s starting now.”
“What is?”
“Move aside. Don’t block the work.”
“Okay…”
As the cloud outside the window passed, the red sun peeked through.
The setting sun, the twilight glow, engulfed Kang Lim’s work.
Long shadows were cast on the stacked square boxes, making the rhythmic disarray more pronounced.
The shadows among the books became clearer, adding depth to the work.
“Wow. It’s completely different from what I saw during the day.”
As if she didn’t hear Kang Lim’s exclamation,
Seoyeon held her breath and waited for the moment.
The light of the twilight ending the day.
Just before the deepening red glow turned purple,
When the shredded pieces were most passionately soaked in the light,
Click.
The shutter was pressed.
“Phew- Done!”
Seoyeon smiled broadly and showed Kang Lim the captured image.
“…Wow, you’re for real. You’re a real photographer? With the original like this, you don’t even need Photoshop.”
Where did she learn this? Her skills were incredible.
Even though the photo wasn’t developed yet, it was clear enough just from the screen.
It was at a level that wouldn’t be out of place if left to a professional.
Typically, when photographing works, installation shots cost 50,000 won per shot. Including travel fees, it’s 80,000 won.
It seems expensive, but there’s a reason for the cost.
Photos of artworks play a crucial role.
Since they are preserved in portfolios or exhibition catalogs, they remain as a perpetual image for those who missed the exhibition.
In other words, it’s like the face or ID card of the work.
So later…
I was planning to use good equipment for better shots at a better venue, but there was no need for that anymore.
“If only I could keep it displayed, it would be a really good work… But since it’s an assignment, I have to clean it up. That’s why I recorded the work today as the image of the ‘festival’ you mentioned. Doesn’t it look like fireworks?”
Seoyeon smiled sweetly at Kang Lim.
It was the same smile he saw when he first met Seoyeon.
“It’s a bit disappointing that the arrangement will change if I set it up in a different place later. Well, the charm of installation art is that it changes with each exhibition location.”
“Hey. That’s not what’s important right now.”
“…Then what is important?”
Seoyeon looked up at Kang Lim.
Kang Lim’s eyes had deepened significantly from before.
They say the eyes are the windows to the soul.
Seoyeon was taken aback by the blazing look in his eyes.
“What… what’s with your eyes?”
“You’re really pretty.”
Following his gaze, Seoyeon felt her cheeks flush.
“Haha- What’s with ‘eyes’? I’m not a fish.”
“Well, anyway…”
As Kang Lim laughed, Seoyeon quickly turned her head and started packing up the camera.
She twisted off the lens, closed the cap, and wound up the cord…
All while keeping her head down.
Only the returnee was at ease.
The next day. Materials Science - Printmaking class.
Kang Lim had finally adjusted to school.
The campus layout, which had been confusing when moving between multiple classrooms, had become second nature, and he had learned the preferences of each professor for different subjects.
However, there was one problem…
He had no money. For materials.
“Anatomy book 35,000 won, chisel 12,000 won, plaster and clay 30,000 won, transportation fee 100,000 won, printmaking materials 50,000 won, and…”
Art really was a money-eating monster.
It had only been a few weeks, but the 400,000 won set aside for lab and practical fees per semester was disappearing fast.
“Hey. Any good part-time jobs?”
When he asked Lee Hyunseong, he shook his head with a tired expression.
“Are you crazy? How can we work part-time with all these assignments?”
“Hmm. Is there no part-time job that’s also an assignment?”
“Ugh. What nonsense. I wouldn’t want to do that even if they paid me. This is the first school I’ve wanted to graduate from the moment I entered.”
As the classroom door slid open and the professor walked in, Lee Hyunseong flinched.
“Alright. Have you all completed your drypoint works for submission today?”
“Yes…”
The professor had only given one assignment. But there were six such professors!
The dozen or so students in the sculpture department all had tired expressions.
As expected of a printmaking class, everyone looked uniformly sleepy.
“Alright, alright! Wake up! Today we’ll be putting your completed works through the press, so watch closely and follow along. Make sure you don’t come back later saying you forgot how to do it. Got it? The materials science you learn in your first year becomes the foundation of your lifelong work. Learn it well!”
“Yes…”
Drypoint is a technique where you scratch a hard, transparent acrylic sheet to create a drawing.
You then apply ink to the etched areas and print it!
“We’ll proceed in attendance order. Kang Lim, bring yours up first.”
Unlike the other students, one student walked up without any sign of fatigue.
He was a student the assistant professor in charge of printmaking had been keeping an eye on since the first class.
Usually, when doing drypoint, you start by placing a photo reference or a sketch under the transparent plate. Since the plate is clear, you can trace it.
But this kid had just stared at the clear plate and started scratching without any reference.
Like a computer printing out a photo without hesitation.
‘Let’s see what you’ve completed. It’s not an easy material to handle…’
To draw on the hard plate, you need a ‘needle.’
There are various types of needles, but they are usually sharp, thin, and pointed like an awl.
“I prepared the paper in Fabriano Rosaspina off-white.”
“Good. Printmaking paper is hand-made, so it has a rough texture, and the paper you brought especially has that quality. Did you all go to the art supply store and compare the different types? You need to choose one that suits your work.”
“Yes.”
When the assistant professor received the paper from Kang Lim, he was surprised.
“What? You’ve already trimmed it?”
“Of course. I also soaked it in water to ensure the delicate parts etched with the needle come out well.”
He had planned to show the students how to trim the paper, but Kang Lim was already prepared.
As if he knew without being taught.
“Everyone! Watch closely. For a work centered in the print, it’s good to have some margin around it. Especially for printmaking, since it’s not just one work, you need space for your signature and edition number, so leave plenty of margin at the bottom.”
“Yes!”
“And unlike woodcut or linocut, where you make a relief print, it’s better to soak and then dry the paper beforehand. The paper becomes more elastic, so even the shallowly etched parts print well.”
When Kang Lim handed over the plate, the assistant professor ran his fingertips over it.
Experienced printmakers can tell how detailed a drawing is just by the feel of it.
The assistant professor’s fingers brushed over every part of Kang Lim’s work.
He examined the plate multiple times, as if he couldn’t believe it.
‘We’ll know for sure after printing, but this seems to be a very richly toned drawing. Is it possible for a beginner to draw like this?’
Needles are more delicate than pencils.
If you scratch hard, a bold, dark line appears immediately, while a light touch produces a very faint line like mist.
Initially, it’s hard to gauge this difference and hence difficult to print a good work from a plate.
Since you’re scratching a transparent plate and creating white marks, it’s hard to intuitively see the tonal values.
‘You only know how the line quality changes with pressure after extensively using the needle… This is truly amazing.’
The assistant professor was eager to see the print and quickly placed the paper.
Whack!
The paper aligned perfectly with the trimming marks Kang Lim had made.
It was a skill only someone experienced in printmaking could execute in one go.
“Everyone, this may look easy, but it’s not. If the paper is misaligned or wrinkled, don’t try to fix it, just print it as is. Once it’s placed, it’s final. The ink will already have transferred. Remember this!”
“Um. Printmaking paper is expensive.”
“Is it like applying a phone screen protector?”
The assistant professor laughed at the students’ reactions as he turned the press.
They were unpolished gems, but still inexperienced with new materials.
“When turning the press, do it slowly, feeling the pressure at a constant speed. If you turn it fast, the work will get ruined. Got it? Watch the speed I’m using now.”
The plate slowly moved between the heavy metal rollers.
He wondered what kind of work would come out.
His heart raced.
“Oh, and the best works this time will be included in the textbook.”
What? A textbook?
