Bae Bien-Us Korea captured on camera for C20

By Ines Min

Pine trees stretch their limbs skyward, while a soft fog fades in the foreground. The leaves of the pine barely interconnect, a gap of sky separating them just so. Though a viewer might be miles away from the nearest evergreen forest, Bae Bien-U’s legendary photographs can transport you straight into the landscape of his images.

Bae, one of Korea’s most respected photographers, will present a video of his still images at the closing ceremony of the C20, on Sept. 11 in Seoul.

The event, hosted by the Corea Image Communication Institute will bring together 20 cultural icons from the G20 member countries, in a parallel endeavor to share the rich artistic history of the country with the outside world. Bae, 60, will act as the cultural representative for his native land.

``I did the video because we have to show an authentic image of Korea,’’ Bae said in an interview with The Korea Times last week. ``It’s good to show an image that is Korean, even if it’s just Korean food. We can’t serve them spaghetti ― isn’t it the same with images? We can’t show them Yosemite.’’

With that simple objective, the photographer’s work translates clearly through the short five-minute video, featuring more than 20 of his pine tree shots ― a signature of the artist.

Backed by composer Kim Soo-chul, another national legend for his classical music pieces, the result is that of a reverent homage to the tree ubiquitous throughout the country. Bae, who is also a professor at the Seoul Institute of the Arts, explained a part of the pine’s grandeur, which in part stems from its root Chinese characters. ``Pine tree’’ is represented by the words ``tree’’ and ``duke,’’ or a high honor.

``So if a tree is a duke, what’s the intended meaning in that?’’ Bae asked. ``That the pine is the most dignified of trees.’’

But the exceptional artist has an affinity for all of nature, as he has also taken photos of oceans, mountains, sea and skyscrapers.

``This is what we stand on. Because they’re the basic elements, they’re the most important,’’ he said. ``The elements are what maintain humans.’’

Bae’s particular focus on the pine tree may seem an odd choice of topic to dedicate the majority of one’s oeuvre to, but upon viewing the images, many are won over instantly (including, famously, U.S. President Barack Obama and Elton John). The gnarled twists of the strong trunks of the pine trees and the faint breath of fog still lingering from the morning chill, or the gleam of afternoon rays, underscore his works with a certain humanism and respect unequaled in most landscape photography.

``Rather than say that he tries to photograph nature, one may say that `nature’ sent `Bae Bien-U’ to the world of mortals,’’ said art critic Ciba Shigeo in an essay on the artist’s work. ``Nature is trying to show, no, display itself through him.’’

This communication is not only the goal, it is the necessity of each piece.

``Bae sees nature with his body, not with his eyes. He does not comprehend nature as an image, but captures it from the extension of his skin.’’

Armed with his preferred large-format, panoramic Linhof (``It just fits me best.’’), the artist has been traveling to Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, for more than 25 years to shoot the vast pine forests there. The city, once the capital of the Silla Kingdom (57 B.C.-935 A.D.), is home to famous burial mounds surrounded by the trees.

The world around him, however is full of places for the artist to explore. In 2008, Bae shot a series of photographs commissioned by Alhambra in Spain, and is also known for capturing the beauty of Changdeok Palace in Seoul. He was even featured on a poster for the renowned Salzburg Festival this year, although in conversation there is a sense of offhandedness underlying his words.

When asked about the peculiar angles of his pine series ― a distinguishing characteristic that places the viewer uncannily straight into the scenery ― Bae replied with a simple answer.

``There’s nothing special about it, it’s just a straight picture.