Cape Johnson, ONP, WA, September 9, 1967
1967
Johsel 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.
Chromogenic digital laser print
16 × 20 in. (40.6 × 50.8cm)
Gift of Barney A. Ebsworth
2006.104
Provenance: [Cosgrove Editions and the artist]; purchased by the Seattle Art Museum with funds from Barney A. Ebsworth, Oct. 19, 2006
