Atta Kim

This book offers the most comprehensive look to date at the work of Atta Kim, one of Korea's most distinctive contemporary artists. Born in 1956, Mr. Kim uses photography to create dramatic, large-scale works that reflect his fascination with philosophical questions. The "Deconstruction Series" (1992-95) features disconcerting images of seemingly lifeless men and women whose naked bodies are scattered like seeds in open fields and desolate natural settings. In the "Museum Project" (1995-2002), Mr. Kim poses people drawn from a wide range of social types in clear acrylic boxes which he places in a variety of urban and natural locations. These images of what he ironically calls "contemporary treasures" provide an unusual perspective on contemporary approaches to sexuality, materialism, politics, and religion. For the "On-Air Project" (2002 to the present), Mr. Kim employs extended exposures, sometimes lasting twenty hours, to create haunting images that suggest the ephemerality of human existence. This book accompanies a major exhibition of works from the "On-Air Project" at the International Center of Photography and includes a career-spanning interview with the artist by ICP curator Christopher Phillips.