From Point 1978

Curator: Lee Ufan created this drawing, titled "From Point," in 1978, using graphite on paper. It's a compelling example of minimalism and his exploration of lines. What's your initial reaction to this work? Editor: It feels meditative, almost like a visual mantra. The repetitive lines, dense at the bottom and then thinning out as they rise, evoke a sense of grounding that gradually lightens. Curator: Exactly, and that layering, from density to near-absence, can be read as a microcosm of existence itself—the tangible world fading into the intangible. Graphite, with its inherent gray scale, becomes more than just a material, doesn't it? It embodies transitions, subtle shifts in energy and perception. Editor: Absolutely. Graphite, though simple, carries this almost primordial feel. Think about it – a core material transformed into lines mimicking something both stable and fleeting, like horizons viewed in dreams. But, let’s face it, that simplicity can sometimes feel a little… sterile. Does it really push boundaries? Curator: Ah, but I would say it's the sheer reduction that becomes revolutionary. Ufan was at the forefront of the Mono-ha movement. His entire artistic intent revolves around paring things down to their very essence. He’s creating space, encouraging viewers to become active participants, filling those empty spaces with their own meanings. It becomes a space for contemplating what we're truly *seeing*, and what our minds are conditioned to *think* we should see. Editor: Point taken. Thinking about the psychological impact, the drawing plays with perception in subtle but powerful ways. Your eye strains a little as you try to find consistent form. But in doing so, you’re made acutely aware of the physical act of seeing. The imperfection of the handmade lines… It stops you from simply glancing and moving on. Curator: The very human touch against that quest for ultimate reduction… it’s a beautiful tension, a meeting of intentional control and accidental freedom. And the horizontal orientation evokes landscapes and even the horizon, inviting reflections on nature's rhythm and constant flux. Editor: A journey mapped in graphite, fading toward some ambiguous horizon... a beautiful, yet understated achievement in mindful representation. Curator: Precisely. And through Ufan’s unique language, it opens endless perspectives and connections in what initially seems like mere lines on paper.