Lampoon 21. Cho Gi Seok – Weirdo is the Gecko

Lampoon 21 / Prototype. Cho Giseok composes and unpacks his story of mutation and metamorphosis. Between animal rhythms and insect masks.

Weirdo is the Gecko

Insects, fantastic and real animals. There is a distinct brand of surrealism that applies to the photographs of Korean photographer Cho Gi Seok. One theme, a common stylistic element of his work, is Cho’s experimentation with the idea of asymmetry and everyday objects.

Yet color seems to be the predominant theme in his work. Note the drastically different hues and shades that are juxtaposed with one another, creating a composition in dialectic with itself. His compositional and chromatic choices, often unnatural, are also particularly relevant.

An aesthetic choice that resembles a statement of intent. A smoothie of references to Generation Z and its sensibility. Internet culture, elements of Korean tradition and globalization seem to be the most urgent elements in Cho Gi Seok’s artistic discourse.

Prologue. Poem by Yun Dong-ju

May I look up at the sky until the day I die,
Without even an ounce of shame.
Even for the wind that passes through the leaves
I have suffered.
With my soul singing the stars
I must love all things that go toward death.
And then, the road that has been assigned to me
I will have to travel.
Even tonight
The stars cry stirred by the wind.

Cho Gi Seok

Photographer from Seoul, South Korea. He was born in 1992, on the cusp of the Internet explosion. Cho Gi Seok is mostly focused on digital photography, and he has brought Korea’s artistic scene to global consciousness.

Credits

Photography: Cho Gi Seok
Styling and creative production: Una Yun Nam Ho

Editorial Team