9/20-Artist-Nikki S Lee

Artist: Nikki S. Lee
gallery
Interview

Nikki S. Lee is Korean-born and a New York based artist. She earned her bfa in Korea and obtained her MFA in Photography in 1998 at New York University. "Lee's most noted work, Projects (1997-2001), begun while still in school, depicts her in snapshot photographs, in which she poses with various ethnic and social groups, including drag queens, punks, swing dancers, senior citizens, Latinos, hip-hop musicians and fans, skateboarders, lesbians, young urban professionals, and Korean schoolgirls. Lee conceives of her work as less about creating beautiful pictures, and more about investigating notions of identity and the uses of vernacular photography." Her work has been compared to Cindy Sherman and in an interview she stated that she was tired of the comparison. I wouldnt mind being compared to an artist like Sherman... Anyway, she says she is inspired by Francis Alys.

"Lee’s projects propose questions regarding identity and social behavior. Do we choose our social groups consciously? How are we identified by other people? Is it possible for us to move between cultures?"Lee believes that “essentially life itself is a performance. When we change our clothes to alter our appearance, the real act is the transformation of our way of expression—the outward expression of our psyche.”

Do we choose our social groups consciously? I think in some way we are conscious of the groups we choose. You know who you want to hang out with and who you want to avoid. However, I do feel that some people choose their social groups because they think that is where they need to be. This is where the stereotypes come in. I recall being asked what type of music I listened to when I was younger. Rock, of course. People always seemed to be surprised, shouldnt a "black" girl listen to rap? So I should hang out with the black kids that listen to rap... Right? Im not sure how some people end up in the social circles that they do. I always tried to know all different types of people and felt like the community floater. Race didnt determine who I socialized with.

How are we identified by other people? It is almost impossible not to note someones race when you meet them. Whether you are right or wrong, you see color first. What is the first thing you think of when someone asks you what a person looks like? Skin color is one of those top descriptions. I feel like their is an expectation to choose a social group based on race.

Lee's work depends on the groups interaction and the environment. The pictures are snapshots taken by people near her. She tells them she is an artist but then stays with them and gets to know them. Im not sure that environment is as important with my project. Im not sure if I want to strip the background of any environment or venture around to tell a story.