Gibson Kim- Nada

I was born somewhere, but grew up in several places.

Along the way, I spent many years in many colleges to think about what I saw.

I believe that visual arts is trace to reveal the Episteme of the era. Such an idea drew me into the field of art and visual culture studies.

As my interest inspires, I visualize, document, exhibit or publish.

Nada

: "nothing," 1933, slang, introduced by Hemingway, from Spanish

nada "nothing," from Latin (res) nata "small, insignificant thing,"

literally "(thing) born," from natus, past participle of nasci "to be

born" (Old Latin gnasci), from PIE root *gene- "give birth, beget."

It was only a little while ago, that I realized I am in love with them. We did

an experiment. I stood behind the one-way mirror which they looked into

themselves. They projected their eager desires, immersed in adorning

themselves. Perhaps, I envied them, a little. As always, I was observing and

documenting them, hiding behind the mirror. Series of images started to

pile up in my mind, and only one thing became clear. It became clear that

my gaze of censorship would not stop the meaningless scissoring, and that

my perception would have to follow my habit of limiting and scissoring

what to accept of them. This is how we have revealed, fought, and collided

with each other. So, this work, is the by-product of such process. The by-

products pile up, and I look into them. It was only a little while ago, that I

realized I am in love with them.

He seemed gay. He was seated next to me at the classroom of graduate

school. He was a hard person to simply place inside the box that says ‘gay.’

It was not because of his foregin accent, his exotic looks or the

symbolic accessories which I could not recognize. When he put on the

makeups for Drag performance, he turned into someone who confuses me

even more. I tried to put them in the box that says ‘Drag Queen,’ but they

did not have the thick lips, or exaggerated cheekbones. They weren’t

simply headed towards the femininity. I have failed to define. It was

uncanny. It was a strong resistance against my perception. But not too

long later, I even taxidermied them on top of my images. I have decided to

photograph all the attempts of reflections that are doomed to the failure.

Quite a long time have passed since the first time I saw him. Perhaps,

I have yet to face him. Could it be my chronic disease? That I end up

projecting myself on him, even when I am looking at him, that I

persistently try to look at me in the end? Every time I had to adapt to the

new surroundings after following my parents to the new city, I had to see

and read other people. For me, seeing means observing other people’s

desires. And seeing is to be melted into the surroundings. The seeing has

reached my own self now.

Website: www.gibsonkim.com