Untitled (November 1999)

“Untitled (November 1999) is a relief of landscape carved directly into the wall on-site at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. This process is accomplished by taking something away, rather than adding something; layers of sheetrock are removed with a chisel to expose 'inside,' leaving an imprint of terrain that is highly detailed, and at the same time, abstract. Evolving from my previous work of mapped territories and archaeological remains, it hints at the idea of a fossil embedded in the existing architecture. The newly constructed relic suggests perhaps a city, a garden, an ancient palace or a park, with its temporal existence located in a space between imagination, memory and an actual site.” -yk

“Young Kim inscribes imaginary terrains into the architecture of Yerba Buena Center for the Arts' Grand Lobby. More accurately, with incredibly tiny instruments, the artist chisels away layers of sheetrock to describe city plans or area maps that seem at once poetic and literal. Visually, the shapes flip back and forth from positive to negative. In viewing this highly detailed work, one imagines a world originating from the aesthetic and practical choices of the artist-artist as god and city planner. The act of choosing can refer to the range of forces that now shape and have shaped the world's geopolitical borders. In the post-Cold War age, when even small regional areas are fought over with insane ferocity, these questions take on deadly seriousness. When looking at Young Kim's work, we never know for sure if what we are seeing is complete, edited or made up. This subtle artwork thereby confronts how we understand the world and challenges any notion of certainty.”

René de Guzman, Visual Arts Curator, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts

Untitled (November 1999), carved drywall and paint, 10 ft. x 24 ft. Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA, 1999

Untitled (November 1999), detail 1, carved drywall and paint, 10 ft. x 24 ft.

Untitled (Rubbing) 2000

Studio View: Untitled (Rubbing), 2000, from the wall carving at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

Four panel graphite rubbing on vellum, 7.5 ft. x 16 ft.