Gwangju News

Art

The GAIA Art Gallery, on the fifth floor of the Jung-il Building downtown, held its first art show with an opening reception on July 5. It was made possible by a grant from UNESCO’s Global Village project to GAIA: the Gwangju Association of International Artists. The show was comprised of two [...]

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The GAIA Art Gallery, on the fifth floor of the Jung-il Building downtown, held its first art show with an opening reception on July 5. It was made possible by a grant from UNESCO’s Global Village project to GAIA: the Gwangju Association of International Artists. The show was comprised of two local foreign artists who have a natural passion for photography and other art they create.

Jocelyn Stokes, 24, USA, has resided in Korea for almost 10 months now, and she exemplifies a knack for nature photography, but also takes an interest in painting. The other artist on hand for the grand opening was Allen Gray from the South Island of New Zealand. He has not been hesitant to see the world around him. He has photographed many countries he has visited. He had photographs of China, Nepal, India and many more on display.

It is not too late to see what Stokes and Gray have to offer. These pieces will continue to grace the walls of the gallery until September 1.

Stokes began her photography career soon after she learned how to walk and talk.

“I began taking photos when I was about six-years-old,” Stokes said.

She did not let her little hands get in the way of taking photos. Her eyes were doing most of the work for her. It was then that countless rolls of film were spent outside in nature. Stokes would take photos of clouds, trees, bugs, squirrels and other little critters. She has since moved onto much more dangerous wildlife. She also bought her first digital camera, but only two months ago.

Last year, while she was working for a photography company in the United States, she spent three months in Alaska taking professional photos for her clients. But in her down time, she took advantage of her location, and captured all the natural beauty that Alaska has to offer, including grizzly bears.

“One day in Alaska, I took a photo of a grizzly bear. It was pretty scary.”

She thought she landed her dream job. Life could not get any better for a graduate of photography school. It was the first job she had after graduating from her university in Oregon, but she soon found out it was not what she really desired.

“It didn’t allow me to be creative. I would just take photos of whatever my clients needed. I was traveling all around the country living in hotels and I never saw my loved ones. I figured that I needed to move on and try to make it as a freelance photographer,” Stokes said.

This brave adventurist took the next step her life and came to Korea in August, 2008 to become an English teacher. She has been enjoying it ever since and has been inspired since the day her plane landed in Seoul. She will be moving on to her next adventure this upcoming September, when she will embark on the opportunity of her dreams. Talk about being inspired by things in Korea: Stokes will be shooting photos to be used to help Asian environmental Non-Government Organizations.

She has explored other mediums for expressing her art since she arrived. Shortly after coming to Korea, she found a discarded mannequin in the trash outside her apartment. For Stokes, it only made sense to unleash all the beauty this female torso had to offer. She painted it for three days a week for eight months before she was finished. It was her first big painting project.

“Usually I focus on conceptual work, but with this one, I was mainly focused on the pure beauty of it,” Stokes said.

This can be found on display at the GIC, along with ten of her best photos.

She wants to use her ability for a good cause. She has taken a strong interest in the environment and the factors that are currently harming it. Stokes plans on using her images of nature to further conservation projects. There are many conservation organizations in Southeast Asia and she believes she has what it takes to make the difference for them.

“Southeast Asia has one of the most diverse ecosystems, because there are so many rainforests. Unfortunately, there are many people harming it, but there are a lot of people trying to help. And I’d like to be one of them,” Stokes said.

Her photos of nature there will be able to be used to obtain funding to go toward substantial environmental organizations. These foundations help protect endangered species and cultures, such as Borneo Sun Bears, Sumatran Rhinos and Aboriginal human beings.

Allen Gray is also not a stranger to traveling the world and capturing it on film. He began taking photos when he was 15-years-old. Now in his early sixties, he plans to leave Korea this upcoming October after teaching English for eight years in Gwangju.

He says that at least one year of being here, has been spent traveling to other countries.

His uncle, a photographer himself, inspired Gray to embark on his hobby of taking photos.

“My uncle is a very keen traveler and photographer, so I followed in his footsteps: we both like the world and like traveling. He was more of an inspiration. I taught myself photography mostly,” Gray said.

His favorite places to travel are India and China. And he has good reasons. He likes to photograph the people there and the lighting isn’t bad either.

“The lighting is very soft there. It isn’t so harsh like in the West. The people are also very photogenic, too,” Gray said.

This was not Gray’s first art show.

“I was quite pleased with the turnout. It was really good. In my hometown in New Zealand I did some art shows. I’d be interested in publication. Certainly magazines,” Gray said.

Before coming to Korea, he worked as a landscaper, and when he returns to his home in New Zealand, he will partake in photography projects and other hobbies that he enjoys, such as wood carvings.

Gray has seen an evolution of photography since he began almost 45 years ago. He got his first digital camera four years ago and would not have it any other way. To him, it is much more convenient and much cheaper.

“Back in the day, you had to get the perfect shot, because it cost about $1 just to click the shutter,” Gray said. “Now you can take all kinds of photos and it’s not a big deal.”

Aside from a fascination with both digital and film photography, both of these photographers will be able to take something with them when they leave Korea. Stokes said she will leave with a huge sense of inspiration for his photography, and Gray will definitely miss the friends and home he made while he was here for eight years.

“I’m looking forward to my new projects back home, but I will always miss Korea. I regard it as my home,” Gray said.

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