Godret Stone, 1958
1958
Stone, wood, cord
49 × 73.5 × 9 cm (19 5/16 × 28 15/16 × 3 9/16 in.)
Composed of dozens of ropes tightened by the weight of round stones, Godret Stone formally evokes the traditional Korean weaving loom. However, contrary to the loom, this piece has no practical use and its materials are subverted in their appearance. Indeed, the stones convey an impression of great lightness and softness. The artwork thus appears as a material response to Korean artist Seung-Taek Lee's original question: “What would happen if a stone were so fragile that it would deform when being tied?”
Godret Stone is part of an eponymous series produced by Seung-Taek Lee in the late 1950s, when he was starting his career. It expresses his desire to transform natural materials through very simple processes and to transfigure the object, here the weaving loom, by removing its usefulness.
This landmark piece in Seung-Taek Lee's oeuvre was first shown by the Pinault Collection in the Faire Avec exhibition at the Laennec Chapel in Paris on the occasion of the European Heritage Days.
Godret Stone is part of an eponymous series produced by Seung-Taek Lee in the late 1950s, when he was starting his career. It expresses his desire to transform natural materials through very simple processes and to transfigure the object, here the weaving loom, by removing its usefulness.
This landmark piece in Seung-Taek Lee's oeuvre was first shown by the Pinault Collection in the Faire Avec exhibition at the Laennec Chapel in Paris on the occasion of the European Heritage Days.
Exhibitions
Photo: Rebecca Fanuele.
Courtesy Marian Goodman Gallery