San Diego Artist Mee Shim

My husband and I went on a honeymoon to San Diego about a month ago, and one of the things that I thought was so great about the city was the thriving art scene.  I wish that we could have spent more time and money exploring museums, galleries, and public places like Balboa Park, but three days is a time crunch and there are those lovely beaches waiting to be lounged on. Still, I thought that it could be fun to showcase a San Diego artists that we discovered and got to meet.

Mee Shim is primarily a painter (I know, another 2D medium artist).  Her gallery and studio were just two blocks down from our bed and breakfast in Little Italy, and Clayton and I actually ended up buying a print of her work.  (Originals are still a ways into our future).  Pictured below 'La Primavera' acrylic on canvas. 56' x 48'. 
       

                                         'La Primavera' acrylic on canvas. 56' x 48'.     
                       
This is not the art work we ended up buying, but this is an excellent example of Mee Shim's focus on East meets West themes.  This particular painting is of course in reference of Botticelli's famous renaissance painting 'Primavera'.  In Mee Shim's work the figures of Venus (Goddess of love), Flora (the embodiment of spring), and the three dancing females (three Graces) have been painted to resemble Asian women rather than Botticelli's fair haired European women.  Besides the physical changes in the women's appearance Shim has adorned her female figures with traditional head dresses, hair arrangements, and the white face paint of the central woman.  The robes and diaphanous clothing is consistant with the 'Primavera' as is the setting in a lush garden full of flowers and spring growth.  However, Mee Shim has chosen to use much brighter colors, including more gold, yellow and red tones.

Much of Mee Shim's work is a reflection of her being raised in South Korea and moving to America and becoming a member of two cultures.  In Mee Shim's artist statement, she describes what this means for her work. "In my recent work, I have attempted to combine my awareness of my cultural heritage with that of the images of contemporary western pop culture. Through the combination of these two cultures I have endeavored, through my paintings, to balance the symbols of both worlds."

Her heritage influence can be seen in these examples:

                                                       Endless Blossom 2004 Mixed media on canvas 30" x 40"

                                         Womb Dance 2001 oil, acrylic, photo transfer on canvas 66"x56"

I have actually seen Boticelli's original Primavera' in person and Mee Shims 'La Primavera' in her gallery.  The Botticelli is much larger and has several more figures present.  Mee Shim is no Renaissance master, the attention to minutia is not there, but who can pay as much attention to minutia as a Renaissance painter! Those guys were crazy!  But that being said, the realism that Shim attempts and achieves is pleasing and her use of color is a more contemporary touch that brings the figures to life.  The light seeping through the trees in the background is also quite lovely and quite different from Botticelli's.

                                                                       
Thought I would add a picture of the original for easy comparison and reference.