Explanatory Notes

1. Research Period: The original research project was conducted between June 2017 and May 2018, while the update project occurred between August and December 2021.

2. Research Scope: This archive covers works and related materials created or exhibited by Lee Kunyoung between 1960 and 2021.

3. Research Subject: All relevant works of Lee Kunyong and documentary material were researched and recorded to the extent they were available. The artist’s private collection and archive, institutional collections and archives, and exhibition catalogs were researched as well. Paintings (close to 2,708 items) account for most of his works, including 97 three-dimensional (3D) works and 95 performances. A total of 2,905 work images were collected, along with other documentary data. Nonwork materials collected and recorded include brochures and other exhibition-related materials, artist notes, drawings, sketches, photos, films, and negatives.

4. Work Titles: Korean and English work titles are titles either confirmed by the artist or those provided in exhibition materials. For works with more than one title, sources of each title are listed.

(1) Main titles were determined based on ① information provided in the catalog of his 2014 solo exhibition at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art or ② another source that is chronologically closest to the date of work.

(2) If the work’s title varies between sources, alternative titles are listed along with the main title. For example, in the case of “신체드로잉,” “신체드로잉 (The Method of Drawing)” was used as the main title in Korean and English, and 드로잉의 방법, Body Drawing, and Bodyscape were written as parallel titles.

5. Creation Dates: All creation dates are either provided by the artist or those indicated in exhibition materials and are listed together with their sources.

(1) In cases of conflicting dates, the most probable date is determined by ① consulting with the artist, ② comparing with the information in the catalog of his 2014 solo exhibition at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, or ③ checking another exhibition material that is chronologically closest to the date of work.

(2) Alternative dates and their sources are listed along with a confirmed or probable date.

(2) If the date of creation cannot be determined, the work is listed as an “unknown date,” and a date estimated by the research team and the basis for estimation are provided in the comment field.

6. Size and Dimensions: The dimensions of a work are based on the information provided by the artist or in exhibition materials and are listed along with their sources. The dimensions of 2D works are expressed in cm, as height × width, and those of 3D works as depth × width × height. For performances, the performance video’s length or running time is recorded in place of dimensions.

(1) In cases of conflicting dimensions, the most probable dimensions were determined by ① consulting with the artist, ② comparing with the information in the catalog of his 2014 solo exhibition at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, or ③ checking another exhibition material that is chronologically closest to the date of work.

(2) Alternative dimensions are also provided along with source information.

7. Media and Techniques: If the media and techniques of work can be determined by consulting with the artist or based on exhibition materials, they are listed according to the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art guidelines.

8. Distinction between Works (paintings) and Materials (sketches, drawings): Although this distinction was mostly made based on the artist’s classification or the classification in an institutional collection currently housing a work, unsigned items that are on loose sheets of paper, rather than on a canvas or in a sketchbook, were generally considered materials (sketches and drawings). However, sketches of 3D or performance works were classified as works. Any known relation to work is explained for items classified as sketches.

9. Recreated 3D Works: If a 3D work was later recreated, the original work and the recreation were recorded as separate works and cross-referenced. Recreated works are provided with a date of creation, exhibition history, and an explanation of any differences from original works in media and techniques. Photos of their process of creation are also provided if available.

10. Reperformances: Performance works are listed together with a reperformance history. For example, the entry on Snail’s Gallop, originally performed in 1979, includes the history of all reperformances (including the date and venue, any difference from the original performance).

(1) Information about original performances is drawn from “Lee Kunyong’s Events in the 1970s,” a research paper (2014) by Ryu Hanseung (curator at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art).

(2) 2D works resulting from a drawing performance, such as The Method of Drawing or Snail’s Gallop, are treated as standalone works.

11. Items 9 and 10 reflect the artist’s view that works based on the same idea are the same works.

12. Information that needs to be further investigated and ascertained was recorded in research notes for the reference of the future research team.