Body and Shelter

Ta‐iL,
 a
 Korean
 phonetic
 equivalent
 for
 ’tile’
 is
 the
 title
 for
 a
 recent
 series
 of drawings
 for
 which
 Bada
 Song
 has
 just
 been
 awarded
 2nd
 prize
 in
 the Jerwood
 Drawing
 Prize
 2012.
 Here
 drawing
 means
 a
 dense
 repetitive
 set
 of graphite
 marks,
 which
 act
 as
 a
 thick
 layer
 on
 the
 monochromatic background.
 The
 marks
 are
 so
 densely
 overlapping
 that
 they
 almost
 become a
 relief,
 morphing
 from
 drawing
 to
 object.
 Ta‐iL
 is
 the
 artist’s
 way
 of capturing
 the
 essence
 of
 traditional 
Korean 
roof 
coverings,
which 
is 
now 
rare since
 the
 ambitious
 modernisation
 and
 rapid
 re-design
 of
 Korea’s
 cities. Heritage
 is
 forfeited
 in
 the
 name
 of
 progress.
 The
 importance
 of
 the
 tile
 and the
traditional
family
house
roof
remains
a
protective
memory.

The
 metaphor
 of
 the
 roof
 or
 shelter
 is
 a
 recurring
 point
 of
 reference
 for Song’s
 work.
 It
 is
 often
 made
 from
 makeshift,
 unstable
 renderings.
 It
 does not
 refer
 to
 any
 dwelling,
 but
 it
 functions
 as
 a
 temporary
 shelter.
 In
 2007 Song
 performed
  Pollock ,
 an
 informal
 take
 on
 painting
 and
 the
 body
 which also
 can
 read
 as
 creating
 a
 roof‐like
 construction
 with
 her
 body
 and
 head
 as the
performance
evolved.