See Dorothy Yoon's Project Space here

artreview.com: Can you introduce yourself and your practice?

Dorothy Yoon: I am a London-based Korean artist, which means I can take advantage of being between Western and Asian cultures. I was born in 1976 in Busan, the second largest city in Korea. Since relocation in the UK after my second MA degree, at Goldsmiths, I have developed my current photographic works, which have been exhibited in London, China and Korea. However, I think of myself as a multimedia artist. In my solo show in GALLERY S in Korea from 2 May, I'll show my video works together with 13 of Blondes. In my second solo show in Saranbang in Korea, I'll present performance, photo installation and video works.

artreview.com: Are the women in medical dress about to have plastic surgery?

Dorothy Yoon: The photo of women in medical dress, called The True, is based on my own experience. When I came to London, the man from passport control patrol said I had to go to the health center and get an X-ray to check for TB because I have a Korean passport. At that time, actually, it was the first time, I realized I am different with others. When I was in Korea, I always thought I am an international universal person. Anyway I waited in the queue for the health center for four hours, wearing the blue dress, watching the blonde people just pass by me. I felt something like I am from the second world.

artreview.com: Is there a story being told in these three images? From operation to fashion, to heavenly ascent?

Dorothy Yoon: I was the kind of child who naturally believed that I will have blonde hair and blue eyes, since whenever watching movies from the west, all western actors and actresses spoke Korean very well because of dubbing English into Korean. I always thought I would be a superstar like Marilyn Monroe, James Dean or a Barbie doll. Then, I would meet a beautiful and rich prince from or outer galaxy with purple eyes in a western face. By the way, when I am getting mature about this Earth, thinking who I am now, yes, it was just a fairy tale.

Headed by Venus in the group, there are five categories of blondes, such as iconic blonde, historical royalties, fictional manga, and those who upgraded their social statuses through men. There is a mixture of Western and Eastern traditional allegories, symbolisms and metaphors. The work is the result of my light-hearted expression of 'West East Crash'.

The Secret [the second image] is about the fantasy of sexuality, but at the same time, the women's desire not to be seen and to run away from others' gaze.

artreview.com: Are you in any of these images? Can you explain the origin of the character Dorothy?

Dorothy Yoon: The Venus model is me in Botticelli's painting, called, Venus and Mars, 1485. I designed Venus's dress with this painting. I have a long story connected with Nam Jun Paik and this story can explain when I faced art for the first time and why my name is Dorothy too. There was a course for graduate students in my university in Korea called Video Art Study with Nam Jun Paik. The lecture included a trip to New York City to experience the contemporary video art scene and meet Nam Jun Paik, show him our video works and get some advice from him. At that time, I really wanted to meet him. Yes, he is a great artist who is considered as a genius in the contemporary art scene. But I wanted to meet and ask him what art really is. It might sound a bit silly. But at that time, I was confused with that matter, especially with the contemporary art.

In the end we couldn't meet the artist. Instead, a visit to MoMA made me realize that there is no absolute definition of the term, art. I'm the answer to the question. The answer stems from me including my experience and my perspective of seeing the world. I think that moment I was really concerned about being an Artist. As if you play with a jigsaw puzzle. Suddenly, I felt that this journey seemed like the one in The Wizard of OZ. I wanted to meet Nam Jun Paik to find out what is a definition of art. Finally, Dorothy found out the solution is her shoes, which she was always wearing. I found the solution, as well. It is from inside of me and my originality, which I already had.

artreview.com: What is your mental source material for these images?

Dorothy Yoon: If I have to say one word, I want to say, PINK! I strongly believed in something about pink, something very artificial and plastic with a deep desire, which I have been dreaming about since I had a Barbie doll with blonde hair, blue eyes and a plastic pink shoes. I can see pink as an ambiguous color that describes an in-between state, between white and red, spirit and physical, fragile and offensive, dream and reality, Korean culture and Western culture, etc.

artreview.com: What is your relationship to the beauty in these images?

Dorothy Yoon: Umm… When it comes to beauty, I'd like to give a definition of my images: 'An Asian Contemporary Beauty Painting'!

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Previous Project Space artists:
Per Hüttner
Nedko Solakov
Lu Hao
Cory Arcangel
Darren Bader
The Errorists
Miltos Manetas
Young-hae Chang Heavy Industries
Uri Aran
Amina Bech
Takuji Kogo