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Cape Johnson, ONP, WA, September 9, 1967
Cape Johnson, ONP, WA, September 9, 1967

Cape Johnson, ONP, WA, September 9, 1967

Date1967
Label TextJohsel Namkung's Lyrical Photography Johsel Namkung, who settled in Seattle in 1947 after an eventful early life in Korea, China and Japan, is widely recognized as an important Northwest artist. He studied the theory and technique of color photography under the direction of Chinese commercial photographer Chao-chen Yang, and developed a friendship with Ansel Adams as well. However, Namkung's most fortunate acquaintances were his fellow artists in Seattle, including George Tsutakawa, Paul Horiuchi and Mark Tobey. A lifelong musician-Tobey and Namkung reportedly often spent evenings accompanying one another in song-he sought to capture the abstract rhythm imparted by a particular landscape. His lyrical photographs encourage viewers to notice the formal beauty in familiar landscapes and prompt a personal dialogue with nature. These four works are part of a recent gift of twenty Namkung prints given to the Seattle Art Museum following the artist's second solo exhibition at SAAM in 2006.
Object number2006.104
Provenance[Cosgrove Editions and the artist]; purchased by the Seattle Art Museum with funds from Barney A. Ebsworth, Oct. 19, 2006
Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Elegant Earth: Photographs by Johsel Namkung, May 4 - October 15, 2006Published References"Ode of the Earth", 2006, Cenveo Graphic Arts Center, Portland, Oregon
Credit LineGift of Barney A. Ebsworth
Dimensions16 × 20 in. (40.6 × 50.8cm)
MediumChromogenic digital laser print