SAL Gallery Showcases Summer Work

Over the summer from Aug. 15-26, 11 students took part in a class called Figure Painting with Mixed Media taught by Professor Seung Lee, director of fine arts. Their work was showcased at the SAL Gal- lery, located on the first floor of the B. Davis Schwartz Memorial Library from Sept. 6-10, and Sept. 13-17.

Lee has been teaching the summer class for eight years. Nancy Noskewicz, a Studio Art major in the second year of her Master’s program, who took the course, explained its focus.

“During Seung Lee’s class we had the opportunity to create figure-drawing artworks focusing on the use of mixed media,” she said. “In a typical figure drawing class we would only use charcoal or pencil as our medium. For a mixed media figure drawing class, we were able to bring in any materials or objects we wanted to experiment with.

Noskewicz continued, “Every class consisted of warm up gesture drawings with a live model, which then moved into a ‘long pose’ where the model would hold one pose for the majority of the class. It was a great experience being able to have that extended time with a live model for two straight weeks.”

Lee treats summer classes as if they are “artist residency programs.” He said that most students had an easier time focusing in his class because they were only enrolled in one class. Noskewicz decided to take the class because it was a requirement for her program.

However, “once I found out that Seung was teaching the class, I was ecstatic,” she said. “Seung has been a mentor to me since I started here at LIU Post in 2012. He creates such a relaxed and inviting environment in his classes and he makes everyone feel confident and ready to learn or improve their skills. It is part of an art class to have a critique, but I have never felt criticized or put down by Seung’s critiques. He has a way of critiquing and giving suggestions without making you feel defeated. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for all art professors that I have come across.”

Noskewicz believes that all students should take at least one art class while in college. “Most students that are not art majors are intimidated to go out of their comfort zone and just take a class,” she said. “It can be frightening to put your artwork on a wall and have everyone critique you if you are not confident in your ability or artistic style. You are forced to be vulnerable and show your personality and expression in a different way. It can make you see the world in a different way, and you may even learn new things about yourself through- out the class.”

Lee is teaching Introduction to Basic Drawing, Life Drawing 1, and Life Drawing 2 this semester. His recent work is presented in Rockville Centre at the Demouzy Contemporary Gallery and will be open from Sept. 10 to Oct. 17.

“ROOTS” A Solo Art Exhibit on the artwork of Seung Lee, focuses on paintings about nature. “I have spent [the] last 4 summers at the Haslla Art World at an International Artist Residency, which is located near a beautiful ocean and set of mountains in eastern Korea,” Lee said. “Staying and creating art at the Haslla Art World has made me appreciate nature in a different way and inspired me to create these latest body of paintings.”

The students’ work from Lee’s summer class are located at the SAL Gallery on the first floor of the B. Davis Schwartz Memorial Library. It was exhibited from Sept. 6-10, and Sept. 13-17 from 5-8 p.m.