Shelter Gallery Artist Profile 02: Steven Junil Park
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The Shelter Gallery has been a welcome addition to The Shelter fold, and as part of the current installation we have the work of Steven Junil Park. Throughout the exhibition, we will interview a number of the artists to learn about their experience, what inspires them, and their path as an artist. We had a chat with Steven and are excited to share his story with you.
Was there a defining moment when you decided to follow your path as a designer?
It was during my last years at art school. I felt there was an unspoken hierarchy that preferred art practice over craft practices that dealt with functional objects. The institution was very intellectually demanding, which I found difficult to keep up with. I just wanted to make things that could be useful and relate to the human experience. In my third year I started my label, 6x4, and decided to only make functional objects and learn as many practical craft skills as I could from the extremely experienced technicians.
Steven Park is the designer of 6x4. Photo: Sonia Sly.
Can you talk us through the process of creating your work?
I mostly use second hand or salvaged materials. I always keep a lookout for materials that appeal in second hand shops and scrap yards, and sometimes people donate materials they don’t need. These materials are a starting point. I try to think about what that material wants to become rather than imposing my intention on it. In using second hand materials there are often limitations and idiosyncrasies that need to be taken into consideration, which provides an interesting design challenge. The making process is a conversation between the history of the material and my intention as a maker.
If you could choose to work within a past design movement, what would it be?
I am very interested in pre-historic and stone/bronze/iron age artefacts. They speak to our very nature as a species, about how we deal with our survival but also find beauty in the simple acts of living. Our tools and implements don’t need to be understood or analysed, they just exist and are validated through their use and functionality. I like to acknowledge my limitations when making objects, using whatever tools and processes I have available to make functional objects with whatever materials I can find. It sort of working to my scale as a single human and being resourceful in an age of excess where there is so much waste that can be used as material.
Steven Park 6x4 garments from 2014. Image © Steven Park.
Do you have a favourite piece of artwork that inspires you?
Probably not. I find the natural world to be the most inspiring, I imagine it has been the earliest and most profound source of inspiration for our species. It allows us to experience the sublime and can remind us of our place in the vast expanses of time and space. I haven’t often felt that from artworks, maybe a few times from architecture and large-scale sound art?
Which designer of the past would you most like to meet?
Ann Demeulemeester.
When working, what is your routine?
If I wake up early enough I try to write and read, if not I just have a coffee and start working. If I need a break from being in the studio I will work on something more physical in the garage. Sometimes I like to work late into the night, when it feels like the whole world is asleep.
Steven Park working in his workroom. Photo: Stacy Squires from Stuff.
What advice would you give to a young designer just starting out?
Everyone has something interesting to say so listening to the internal voice and being honest to it is the most valuable thing you can do.
Where do you look to for inspiration?
I don’t go out of my way to consciously look for inspiration. I think the subconscious processes what we experience in our daily lives and then gives a sort of interpretation. That is what is what I see as inspiration. Creating experiences and environments for the subconscious to process is important. Also, I often think about shapes, silhouettes, and proportions when I’m about to go to sleep or when I’m running.
Steven Junil Park's stool available to be viewed at The Shelter.
Does the New Zealand art scene inspire or influence your work?
The people do. I think sometimes they get mythified because of how their work is disseminated, largely through online platforms, but in reality they are just really cool people that are living their lives and pursuing their passions. Making work can be a bit isolating because you spend most of your time alone in a studio so meeting other people who work in a similar way is exciting. I love seeing people’s work because it feels like seeing the tip of an iceberg.
Can you tell us about your piece that’s currently at The Shelter and what inspired it?
I’m not sure what inspired it. I like the simple shapes and how there is no mystery to its construction: it is three pieces of wood put together in a certain order. The material is very mundane (Pine) but treated with a lot of care. Torching then scrubbing the wood pronounces the grain and gives it a beautiful texture which really stands out once its waxed.
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