We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jaiseok Kang Jason River. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jaiseok Kang below.

Jaiseok Kang, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

I believe I’m a perfectionist. Therefore, I’m never happy with my work because nothing can be perfect. But, one of my colleagues told me once, “Finding something you deadly want to do, focusing on it, and creating your own is one of the greatest blessings in life.” I often think that being an artist is a blessing, not a curse, but sometimes I feel overwhelming. So, my answer is: sometimes yes, sometimes no.

I’ve never had so called a “regular” job, so I can barely imagine what is good and bad about it. “A regular job” means that people work on time and finish on time, and they get paid by hours and ability, correct? These are what I ENVY. Because I don’t think that I am capable or want to belong to a conventional work environment.

A teacher might be an ideal fit for me if I were to choose a career. I grew up in a family of educators. Both of my parents retired as teachers, and my brother is teaching math so far. Many people tend to underestimate what teachers do, but I see it differently. It’s more than just teaching their knowledge or skill. I don’t feel that I am responsible and I can change other’s lives.

Jaiseok Kang, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

When I was a child, I dreamt of becoming a painter or sculptor. Sometimes I was drawing and painting on the paper all day long. So my parents had to buy me a bunch of paper, pencils, brushes, and paints instead of books. Then I had a small film camera when I was in high school. There was a full of enjoyment that I could capture every moment and everything I wanted with the camera. Even my college life was the same. I wanted to learn photography more and deeper, so I took photo classes as many as I could. My active duty in the army as a photographer also made my eyes open for documentary photography. In addition, I pursued my career as a commercial photographer, working on various projects including fashion, movie posters, and album covers for two years while attending a graduate school majoring in Fine art photography.

But my eagerness of being a true artist was never turned off. In 2005, I moved to New York City and held my first solo exhibition. That moment evoked me of my first dream and eventually led me to study fine art such as painting, drawing, and printmaking at Brooklyn College until 2009, where I met a professional dancer in a figure drawing class. That remains one of my biggest pivots as well as significant turning points so far. (More stories continue the follow question.)
Since 2015, I have been dazzled by using bubble wrap. My work begins with observing and imagining various stories around me. Many artists including me get their inspiration from stories of nature, myths, music, books, and life. I collect and unfold these tales, then I carefully select a subject among the many stories that I wish to bring to life, using bubble wrap, human bodies, and my imagination. My process involves creating installations, photographing models within them, and post production work.

I want viewers to engage with my work through their imagination and emotions; moreover, I aspire them to have a conversation with my work before delving into the theoretical backdrops. I strongly believe controlling viewers’ vision and imagination seems a very dangerous idea. Let them talk in their own language.

Have you ever had to pivot?

My answer is more about various turning points of my work/life. These might be more interesting stories of me.
Part 1. Dancers have been my favorite subject of my work since I met Jasmin in 2007 at the figure drawing class at Brooklyn College. Her poses were very different from any other nude model. Powerful poses. Her muscles were dancing themselves. After the class, I asked her without hesitation if she was interested in working with me. Through Jasmin, I connected with other dancers, could work with many more. Every time I work with them, I can’t shake this feeling that dancers are different species. They came from another planet, transforming into a tree, flower, bird, fish, and even wind, water in my work.

Part 2. Until 2014, I also worked in commercial photography, shared my studio with other photographers mostly because of a financial reason. I thought I could successfully juggle both fine art and commercial work. I failed. Fuck it, I made decisions: no more sharing my studio with anyone, no more commercial work whatsoever. And that is how and what I have been working ever since. It also wouldn’t be possible without my wife’s devotional support for sure.

Part 3. In 2015, I found bubble wrap which has become a signature material of my work when I helped my fellow artist’s move. Glenn, a sculptor whose studio was next to mine. We were wrapping his life size-figurative sculptures with bubble wrap and duct tapes. I looked back right before leaving his studio, the sunset light was leaking through his large windows, gently touching his wrapped sculptures. The figures were so bizarre yet beautiful at the same time. Inspired by that, I started to wrap real humans with bubble wrap and duct tapes for years. I felt like I became an abstract painter because I had to wrap, photograph, and unwrap my models as fast as possible. If not, you may imagine what happened to my models. Then I wanted to be a realistic painter. Adding galvanized wire as a framework helps me to build more sophisticated and diverse shapes with bubble wrap.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I am still searching the answer and hoping that there will be. At least I was proud of what I was doing before the Pandemic, but Covid 19 changed me upside down. I believed that my work could change people’s minds, inspire others and even change the world to a better place. Because art is so noble and being an artist is more than a job. These are bullshit to me until now. I am slowly recovering from depression and getting my confidence back as people around me support by encouraging what I’m doing and purchasing my work.

Last year during a special lecture I gave in Seoul, one of the students asked me, “I checked your Instagram and saw your work, and, how possibly can you keep creating consistently?” That was a very good question, I did say. I was thinking for a moment then answered, “Nothing I can do besides making my art. Making art is only thing I’m good at, plus I can enjoy the most. You know? After that, whatever happens with my work is out of my hands.” I could catch a bit of disappointment on her face, but that is the damn truth.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jasonriver.com
• Instagram: @jasonrivercom
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/jasonriver
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvXGl3eYq4g

Image Credits

© Jaiseok Kang a.k.a Jason River. All rights reserved.

Images
01. Jasmin with Glenn, 2013, Gelation silver print,
02. Courtney, Wrapping series, 2015, Gelation silver print,
03. from Memory of the Smash of (no.10), 2022, Archival pigment print
04. Bubble wrap no. 21 (Jellyfish), 2021, Archival pigment print
05. Bubble wrap no.25 (Merman), 2021, Archival pigment print
06. Bubble wrap no.30, 2022, Archival pigment print
07. Behind the scene. Bubble wrap no.32, 2023, Gelatin silver print
08. Artbath exhibition. The Blue building, NY, 2022