JB,

I'm sort of wondering how you feel when you see this pictures.

Are these pictures... is this "art" to you (as in, do you take these pictures to be art and so you appreciate these pieces of art for what they are)? Maybe we should take it in this manner, and so we objectify the subjects - nothing is personal, no different than photographing a bowl of fruit...

And/or, is this a window into the lives of people who ply their trade in fantasy worlds for which we are given voyeuristic status? These are real people, with real feelings, creative people with crazy beautiful lives and souls that they choose to expose to the world, for reasons unknown... and we get to peek into their lives, for what end, I am not sure...

So when I see these pictures, I am conflicted a bit. People get to see in these huge pictures, somewhat private things, right? Should I even be looking, what should I be thinking or feeling, I feel like I am intruding. I can't help but feel a bit connected to these people, right? Unlike photos of random people, these are people whose works (dramas, movies, music, etc.) have connected them to me, and so I "know" who these people are.... how can I just pretend that these people are "strangers" to me?

The worlds of drama and movies... it is so odd. I feel like the actors and actresses are often laid bare before the audience, their souls revealed by the emotions they force out of their bodies, and wouldn't normal people be nearly traumatized by that much exposure, and yet they come back and do it again in another drama or movie, and then again in photo spreads, and sometimes I think they are all probably crazy.

These photos, and even simple things like selca's.... how are we supposed to respond to these things?

Love the first picture, seems to carry the emotions in the rawest state. Shucks, I love it.

Holy...I didn't even recognize Bae Soo-bin without his Painter of the Wind costume. o.o

@Samsooki
Well, yes, we get to see something private, but if the photographer and all people who were photographed were ok with us seeing them, then shouldn't we look? I don't feel uncomfortable. I mean, I would be if the pics were taken without permission and were posted without their permission, but as it is, we're talking about an exhibit and...well, it's like they are all implying "yes, this is us, we want you to see us, you can look". I feel honored they want to share that with us actually. I don't think I'd be able to do the same, and I respect them for being so honest with us.

Woah... is that first picture really Hwang Bora? The friend that was in My Girl?

That's such a great picture. I can't stop staring at it.

@sere,

I know they consented, but there are levels of intrusion into one's privacy.

Actors may act in movies, disrobing entirely even (physical body privacy demolished) or really revealing their own hearts (emotional privacy gone in an instant). But still, it could be that their souls are intact and hidden. They keep parts of themselves private. And we respect that.

But sometimes, pictures like these can reveal more than even what the subjects and the photographers intend, even they may not know the extent of it. And I don't know if they (the subjects and the photographer) intend for the pictures to be windows into souls of the subjects, so much as just things to look at, you know what I mean?

I feel like maybe I should just look at the photos and be like, "okay, nice pictures" and anything more than that, and I'm treading into someone's life.

reminds me of the movie CLOSER...

Ah~ The rapper from Koyote~ ^o^

Not too fond of the pictures, but I still would have liked to have gone ^^;;

Only had a quick look, but if I didn't know it I could have taken most of the photos for publicity stills, they look a bit commercial...There is something too polished and deliberate, to me they don't reveal that much more than the pics of celebs coming to the opening. But to be fair, portraits are extremely difficult pictures to make if you want them to be something more than just nice and pretty =)

From what i can get a glimpse of the photos, most of them seem to look like typical photo shoots of entertainers. The depth of emotions they are trying to convey are vague. The attitude/ way of their bodies being photographed seem too commercialized or model-like. The response i am getting from myself when i look at the pictures is nonchalance.
I dont know if the fact that these subjects are entertainers made my judgement jaded or the fact that I am just looking at the photos from the screen of my computer made the photos look typical.....
But I have to agree that good close up/ portrait photos especially with concepts are indeed quite difficult to take....

@ Samsooki.

Have to agree.
We like to see the photos of actors/actresses, singers. In most they portray a role - in costume, in character or the snaps at some publicity event. These are usually when that person is in the public persona character. All of interest to the fan, film watcher etc. These Portraits come from a whole different criteria, whilst very striking photography, the feeling is not one of ease. The public persona seems removed, leaving a strange change in the personality assumed.

@samsooki

I completely agree. Actually, I read the comments before i looked at the pictures, and I thought I would agree with sere. I wanted to look at these pictures, I wanted to take them for what they were, art. The 1st picture I felt a little bad, but it was fine. Once I got to Yoo Ah In I stopped looking. I felt I saw his emotions clearly and connected them to mine when I've felt that way, and I just decided to stop because there are some things we aren't meant to know.

the Hwanhee photo is amazing. besides him just being physically appealing (to me at least), this photo lets us see the saddness in his eyes that is hidden by a strength he shows the worlds. it's a strong photo. this is one of the reasons why i love black and white/ siepa tone pictures over most colour photographs.

yes this particular photo is intimate and personal and private. but that is part of the beauty of it. there are no words, there is no script, there are no costumes in photos like these. just the person behind the camera capturing a moment.

Wheesung photo, being in colour, is the opposite of the Hwanhee picture. i know nothing about him. at least with Hwanhee only knew him from WGM. Wheesung looks michevious, poses a challenge to the photographer. there is strength, disobeince, and shows someone full of character. i could be wrong since i have no clue who he is.

both pictures are striking. both pictures are art. if a picture of a stranger doesn't stir some kind of emotion then the photographer fell flat. art is subjective. personally i pefer portrait photography similar to this. i feel comfortable seeing these as art, because within the photo itself there is beauty, there is something that i associate with to make me feel okay i get this....
i get uncomfortable when seeing war pictures as art. that leaves me more uneasy.

I see something interesting.

You notice that in almost every picture that has a face blown up big, there is also a hand in or around the face?

Hwang Bora - left hand, closed, near face, protective gesture?
Bae Soo-bin - both hands, clasped in prayer, over mouth, supplication?
Eugene - not sure what that is? a white mitten? maybe not a hand...
Yoo Ah-in - right hand, open, behind neck, hidden hand act of deference.
Hwanhee - right hand, curled, covering part of face, caught in the act of something?
Brian - right hand, curled, protecting right eye, guarding a thought.
Eru - right hand, open, covering entire right side of face, hiding a thought.
Shoo - no hand.
K.Will - right hand, open, covering chin, keeping a thought inside.
So Yu-jin - right hand, closed, near chin in a protective gesture.
Wheesung - right hand, peeling away dead skin from his lower lip, showing need for lip balm.
Yoon Gun - no hand.

eugene is stunnnnnnning!!

@ Samsooki

The hands are really important in portrait photography because apart from facial expression (and posture if it can be seen) they're the most expressive parts of the human body.
I'm a photography fan, and would sooo like to be good at portraits, but unfortunately lack the talent to bring out and capture that special quality in people...

@Samsooki and Danielle

To take such photos, actually take any kind of photo, there has to be a certain level of intimancy between the photographer and the subject, right? Now I don't know Bbaek Ga personally, but I would like to think that a professional like him, if a particular shot makes his "model" uncomfortable for whatever reason (cos the pic showed more than it was supposed to show or whatever) wouldn't go ahead and include that particular shot in the exhibit if the model so wishes. Not even if it was his best shot ever. Especially not after what they went through (the photoshoot which is, I think, an emotional experience). Maybe I'm being too naive here...

"But sometimes, pictures like these can reveal more than even what the subjects and the photographers intend, even they may not know the extent of it."

Of course. But then, you should never look at pics ever again, whether they're candid pics, pics taken for regular commercial ads, or artworks specifically created for an exhibit. You shouldn't even watch dramas or movies...after all, actors do inject or project part of their souls into their performances. You may incidentally see something that wasn't supposed to be shared. You should also walk around blindfolded, what if you catch a glimpse of man's soul just because he let his guard down for a moment? At least in an exhibit you know where you stand, you know where the "model" and the photographer stand and there's some sort of certainity that the model and the photographers have agreed to and want to show you a side of their personalities. I say we should be grateful to them. Forget they are actors or singers...I'm honored that a human being is sharing something with me. Wish I knew a way to return the favor!

@Samsooki
Art is intrusive. You are revealing parts of yourself which is why there are celebrities or well-known artists because fans relate to their work and have an emotional connection. The sad part is that something that the artist gives of themselves, in it's purity, is usually taken advantage of and manipulated. Here the artists took pleasure showing bits of their true nature BUT it's up to us to use what they give us in a fragile manner and respect it.

I know this is art and everyone is making sophisticated comments...

but can I just say how beautiful bae soo bin is??? *fangirl squeal*

now on the serious side I think the hwang bora picture is breathtaking...it just seems like a beautiful portrayal of emotion.

@15 DaLi -

Thanks for the response! I think you are correct. Hands are expressive.

How do you know that you don't have the talent to make those kinds of pictures? How much of the result is because of the photographer's talent anway, and how much is it because the subjects are generally pretty darn good looking? (Oh, and how much is based on the fact that they have really expensive equipment and lighting devices).

@16, Sere -

"You should also walk around blindfolded, what if you catch a glimpse of man’s soul just because he let his guard down for a moment"

You crack me up. =) *big hug*

STILL, if a gust of wind blows up a woman's skirt, Marilyn Monroe style, I will be for certain going to be looking away. Similarly, if I see something that others may not want me to see, don't I have an obligation to avert my eyes?

@17 PetiteStix -

I guess I am just uncomfortable in taking in another person's soul. Certain cultures once believed that taking photos possibly could steal their souls, and so they were against photography. I'm not of that belief, obviously, but art can be so intimate, so intrusive, can't it?

****

I keep going back to Ep 12 of Coffee Prince, towards the end of the episode, but I still get an emotional response when I think about Gong Yoo as Choi Han Gyul, telling YEH as Go Eun Chan how he felt, how he felt betrayed by Go Eun Chan not believing in him. And then Go Eun Chan's response, that it wasn't that she didn't believe in him, but that she didn't believe in herself.... kind of a cheesy line, but the delivery of the lines was... real?

The first time I watched that scene, my wife and I were like, "woah." So we stopped the DVD and went back and watched it again and again. Pretty strong stuff, and even as we watched and rewatched, I was a bit uncomfortable because it didn't feel like acting. And I felt a little bit like I was in a conversation that should have been private....

Bae Soo-bin is art. Period. ;)

@ 1 and 5 Samsooki, thank you for sharing your thoughts. I completely agree with your views there.

@ 16 Sere, agreed on the intimacy bit. Entertainers are innately performers for the camera. They face mag shoots, album shoots, filming, etc in their everyday jobs. Perhaps if the photographer wasn't Bbaek Ga (ie, someone they recognize/trust as part of their world), they would have shown a more guarded and professional response, and we would not get to see their private side at all.

wow it's great to see couple if u guys how analyzed the pix.
to me when i saw the hwang bora i was amazed i really like it.
i felt pureness, beauty, sadness even thought i didn't know her at first
so with no make up feeling..i thought his concept would go this way.. but nah too bad the best picture is the 1st one.
so i must say we might need title for the photos to feel it more and look at it in different view..but i think the best pix r the pix we feel it without explanation

Bae Soo-bin: although i like him.. but i need a little more feeling. the composition are nice, but what does the body have to do with face < we need a really interesting title to make it sense

Eugene : kinda nice but give me (Interview' photo magazine) feeling

Yoo Ah-in: the pinkish effect took away some feeling

Hwanhee: nice

Brian: not good for me

hwangbo: we don't see a close up of her face, so again what does the body has to do with the "faces Concept"

Eru: the blurry pic would be enough for me, confused and lost feeling

Kim Kyung-rok: hmmm if only the middle pic had his mouth and eye open, that would be interesting

Shoo: sad but not as powerful as the 1st pic with it's natural color.

k.will: kinda awkward

So Yu-jin: again (Interview's photo magazine) feeling

Wheesung: definitely awkward i felt weird, unless that is exactly what he want us to feel then it's a success.. i guess

Lee Pani: commerial < is it only me who bothered with her stomach

Yoon Gun: nice.. i liked the blank space

I feel like these photos, though pretty, are not the most insightful. Yes, they are physically appealing, but they just look like hte typical photos you see on magazines. There is not a lot of emotional connection to someone looking at the photograph, and I think that, in part, is affected by the fact that these people are "celebrities".

The fact that you see them on TVs and magazines kind of undermines the point of these photos. Since these actors and musicians portray a certain "image" of them (either in acting or as a singer with a "concept"), there is a lack of authenticity in these photos. Especially when there is a direct picture of the "real" them underneath the exhibit photo, there is, again, a sense of pretentiousness in the photos. Its as if the photos are "trying" to look professional, but do not have the emotional connection that is impossible to orchestrate.

In part, I think the lack of authenticitiy in the feelings of these photos do lie in the celebrities themselves. They've been, for so long, posing for the camera that they can no longer protray the raw emotions in a face. Aside the one with Hwanhee and possibly Shoo or Yoon Gun, all the other photos can be found in magazines.

Hwang bo is soooo pretty! I thought this photo shoot was for charity?

@Samsooki

*hugs back* *g*

"STILL, if a gust of wind blows up a woman’s skirt, Marilyn Monroe style, I will be for certain going to be looking away. Similarly, if I see something that others may not want me to see, don’t I have an obligation to avert my eyes?"

Of course. I'd do the same. It was private and it wasn't meant to be shared. But I see that example I brought up (the one of a random man lost in thought, caught unawares) as totally different than a shot, taken by a pro photographer, agreed upon by both the photographer and the model. In case of the random stranger, he didn't want to share whatever he shared, he wasn't aware of sharing it and my staring would be rude and out of place. But in case of the exhibit? I still think all parties involved gave their blessing to my looking. Even if something that may or may not be supposed to be shown was actually shared. I see that as a gift which I'd gladly accept, from human being to human being.

I have to agree with PetiteStix when she said "it’s up to us to use what they give us in a fragile manner and respect it."

I wrote the example of the random dude cos I think that whatever we do, wherever we are, we may show glimpses of our souls, whether we like that or not. What matters is what people do with that, whether that's looking away if I clearly wasn't inviting them to look or looking on -discreetely, respectully, not abusing off the knowledge I may gain- if I was sharing a part of me with them. Either way, that shows respect. If you don't feel comfortable in seeing my soul, even if I'm somehow offering, that's cool as well. That's *your* way of showing respect, isn't that right? ;)

...and we may have been overthinking the whole thing. LOL I think the photos are all lovely. I'd love to see the exhibit, but I doubt it'll tour to my country. Ah well.

@ 19 samsooki

I guess it's always possible to improve, but sometimes you just know^^ And I do manage to get the odd good picture, especially with kids since they're so open.
Good cameras and lighting certainly help although some photographers from the early 20th century managed to make wonderful pictures that hold their own today, with equipment that would be considered very inferior by modern standards.

I wonder what the reactions would be if Bbaek Ga had taken pictures of unknown people, would you consider that more or less intrusive?

These just look like glamour portraits. I wouldn't consider this fine art - I agree with those who said they seemed like commercial photographs: they obviously required a technical skill, but the photographer is not pushing any boundaries or inspiring any thought. The subjects are all very (very, very) beautiful people and I don't find traditionally beautiful faces all that interesting or challenging to look at.

Nice discussion going on here.

The photos of Hwang Bora and Hwanhee stand out the most to me. Someone mentioned you don't get to see Hwang Bora often like that, and it brings out another side of her. I honestly thought that was another movie still, but the focus on the emotions on her face were very well captured.

As for Hwanhee, the positioning of his face (half of it, with his fist up) is a clever way to draw attention to the forceful expression in that single eye. There was a hint of the sinister about the whole thing. I thought it was very intriguing.

I also quite like Eugene's shot - very sweet and intimate, a very personal photo.

@26, DaLi -

I guess I would be much less concerned. The reason I care is because I think I "know" something of these people, regardless of how true that is.

Like, I've sort of followed Fly To The Sky on and off for years now, and while I don't really like most of their music, I usually tune in when they give interviews and have something to say. And so, looking at the photos, I sort of see something in them, like a recognition event.

If they used people I don't know, then maybe I'd see the people as bowls of fruit, and then it would just be art without being personal. But because I know who they are, I've seen their expressive stuff (music, dramas, movies), it becomes personal.

Is that bad to make art personal? I have no idea.

@Samsooki

But...isn't art, in its definition, in its essence, all about feelings and emotions? How's making "personal" -by your definition- art different from any kind of other artistic forms? Even still lifes are not supposed to be *just* about inanimate objects, but about what that particular object makes you feel. IMHO any kind of art is not about the form or shapes you see, but rather about the feelings conveyed/portrayed, those of the viewer, those of the maker, those of the subjects portrayed. I fail to see the difference you make. Art is personal in any way you look at it. I think?

@ Sere

I agree, indifference would be a kind of failure I think. Whether fine art or popular, they're deeply meaningful to people, like we who come to this site really care about Korean drama, music etc.
And I don't know anything about Bbaek Ga, but I would say that all artists try to invoke feelingss, both in themselves and the viewers. If they reveal a wee bit too much of themselves it's still better than not showing anything at all. As a matter of fact imho Bbaek Ga has been a bit too cautious even.

hweesung's shot catches my eye the most! his expression, as well as the more vibrant color.

One person's art is another person's trash. Art is what you make of it.

That being said, I agree with the group that said there are a few pictures that convey more feelings and brings out more emotions in the viewer. However, most are in the category of the bland -- beautiful person, beautiful picture.

these are nice pictures....but the pictures are so plain...it's like a regular photo shoot for an album jacket.

Yoon Gun's my favorite. :D

All these photos are essentially vanity pieces. It's nothing we haven't seen from every glossy mag photoshoot out there. The photographer brings nothing new to our understanding of the subject.

It's obvious he's trying to aim for something layered and evocative by aping Richard Avedon et. al., but there's no depth to any of these photos. If the people he photographed weren't famous I'm sure this stuff wouldn't even get past an art school review board, let alone get its own exhibition. And yet actual, talented artists often have to struggle for years just to get their name out there. It really ticks me off.

there are some pretty nice shots but i think some have not really good composition/angle but i really like the black and white shots and hwangbo's set.
I'm actually thinking whether these pictures are good enough to be exhibited, there are a lot more talented photographers out there which do not even have their works exhibited.... it kinda ticks me off.

don't get me wrong, this guy is not talentless but i just feel the exhibition is unnecessary, i don't think he will get this much press attention if he wasn't a celebrity.
just my two cents.

i agree with Margaret (#22). Magazine-like images and not so much raw~

I read a few of the other comments by others and i think yall reading too much into it than there is.

Overall i like the photos, although not the greatest i've seen. I think i enjoyed his trip photos better.

I might be totally jaded... (no, actually, I know I am), but as an art historian, these pictures are meh, blah, they give me nothing. It's been done millions of times before, it's been done better.
If all the people weren't k-celebs, I don't think this "art photography" exhibition would have been done at all.

Good photo but some model he use are emotionless, does'nt define the theme itself. I am sorry i cant feel if its an art or something.... cant feel anything or struck me...

Anyway its okay....

A lot of these look like photos of the photos, not original release files. If that's the case then I reserve judgement as to the exposure of these images. As for content and composition, they are a little understated for my personal tastes.

I also perfer that my subjects not look directly at the camera, but that's just my predilection.

Whether published self cam, photo ops or photo shoots, all such images are intended to be seen. It's up to the subjects to decide what they allow us to see within themselves.

I love art for its inspiring element that is able to transform viewers to a different dimension even if it's only for a short time. We as viewers are able to feel the emotional connection to the subject and sometimes the artist.

At last I have to say these portraits from Bbaek Ga do not invoke in me that emotional connection (with one or two exceptions). I hate to say that he lacks the talent because he may have talent but just raw. He may improve in the future. Or maybe like someone suggested, he is being cautious not too delve too much into the subject's private emotions since he knows them personally. Either way, there are many more talented artists out there that wait and wait for the opportunity to unveil and share their talent. It feels somewhat unfair that Bbaek Ga has this opportunity. Then again, life is often unfair right? Or is it true that you have to be in the right place at the right time?

@Samsooki
"....wouldn’t normal people be nearly traumatized by that much exposure, and yet they come back and do it again in another drama or movie, ...and sometimes I think they are all probably crazy."

I agree with you about how traumatizing it would be. I think I would be relieving those extreme emotional scenes over and over again in my head even after the filming. I think several actors and actresses have revealed that this happens to them. But that's why I admire artists so much - they love what they do with so much passion that they are willing to pour their heart and soul into it.

I don't know. I agree with those saying these pictures aren't really that different from the pictures from magazine.
The first picture is beautiful, but the others not so much. I don't feel anything coming from them, no real emotion.
I've seen so many pictures much prettier than these and the ones who captured them aren't really "pros".

@ guys, lol. About the whole traumatising thing... isn't it true that a lot of people actually want their souls to be seen? Isn't that a big part of the reason so many people want to find love? They want someone to see and know all of them. It's a kind of gratification, and a way to connect with people. Of course, when you're a celebrity with your every move documented, your worst moments also get caught and that's bad. Just because she's currently being dissed everywhere, take Solbi and her plastic surgery. Even watching her on WGM, she seemed to expose a lot of emotion, too much sometimes, and the plastic surgery thing was a disaster, but look how open it made her. The insecurities which led to the surgery (she was considered chubby, lost weight and looked great, but still felt the need to make herself prettier), public reaction and her response to it.

i like bora's pic..feel like shes gonna cry...love the feel.

love the first picture. Engaging and Powerful.

The rest are pretty celebrity-typical photographs.

Hwanhee's pic is the only one i can feel. I cant say the same about the rest.

@Samsooki

"sometimes I think they are all probably crazy."

If there's anyone that's going crazy I think it's you Samsooki :D

Seriously, I've read your first post over three times and I still can't compehend the way you feel about this. I guess I'm just not an artsy type of person and don't quite understand any of this, but man, what do you do when someone shows you their family photo album?

@48, Kobe -

I admit that I'm a bit weird. When I talk with ppl, I don't like asking them personal questions because how do I know if they want me to know something. Like, we had some friends over and my wife asked one of our friends something like, "so, how's your job search going" or something like that, and I felt like that was potentially an off-limits question. Maybe that person doesn't want to share that information, maybe that person feels a bit embarassed or depressed by it and so doesn't really want to get into it, or maybe that question has been asked 100 times by everyone (including family) and so maybe we should just give it a rest. But asking that question puts that person on the spot. I could literally hear the gears turning inside that person's head, as I could see that person thinking, "what's the best way to answer that question..." Not necessarily the most comfortable moment in my life.

I understand this is not necessarily the norm, but I just feel like if people want to share, they will, and I shouldn't intrude without knowing for certain that I am welcome in certain topics of conversation.

Similarly, I think that everyone has a right to their own privacy, even if they are in the arts / entertainment business. And so I'd rather just see what people want me to see, and not get too deeply enmeshed into people's inner selves, unless that kind of intimacy is (1) permitted and (2) mutual.

When artists or subjects of art share their lives with the public, they put into their works and their expression, pieces of themselves. I accept that in the abstract (I don't take it personally), and I look at those things in both an objective (what it means and what it says) and a subjective (what it means to me, and what it says to me) manner. But when it comes to photographs especially, I think the abstract often becomes personal, and I feel like I am starting to intrude a bit, and since the intimacy isn't mutual, it feels a bit like voyeurism.

***

As to family photos of people I am not necessarily that close with, I do in fact get uncomfortable a little bit. I want to share my life with people I want to share my life with, and I want to be included in the lives of those same people - this is mutuality - when you share things with people who want to share things with you. And having (1) permission but not (2) mutuality... that makes things a bit unbalanced for me. Except for Hyun Bin. I am sure he'd wanna be friends with me, so really, I don't mind copying his former hair style and dress a little bit.

*shrug*. Just my feeling.