US interdisciplinary artist Gregory de la Haba's Seoul exhibition opens portals

Hahn Dae-soo with Gregory de la Haba in his studio in front of his piece "Rothko's Metaverse" / Courtesy of Hahn Dae-soo

By Matt VanVolkenburg

A few weeks ago, the legendary Korean folk-rocker Hahn Dae-soo began posting a series of videos on YouTube about his love for New York City, starting with a visit to the studio and home of artist Gregory de la Haba, whose first exhibition in Seoul, at the Hangaram Art Museum, opens on May 27.

It was at McSorley's Old Ale House, a New York East Village landmark operated by de la Haba with his wife, Teresa, that he first met Hahn. As de la Haba put it in an interview with The Korea Times, "I've seen Hahn Dae-soo in McSorley's many times over the years. His laughter is infectious. But I never knew who he was until we finally met formally over one year ago. We've become great friends since then and I enjoy his positive attitude on all things important: family, music and art."

As to how the YouTube videos came about, one evening Hahn visited the bar with documentarian Young Cheong, who teaches filmmaking at Brooklyn College. "He became a big fan of my work and with the encouraging of Hahn Dae-soo decided to make a documentary on me," de la Haba said.

McSorley's has a history that goes back over 160 years, with presidents like Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant and Teddy Roosevelt, as well as such cultural luminaries as John Lennon, Woody Guthrie and Harry Houdini, having spent time there.

"The late owner of McSorley's, Matty Maher, was a patron of mine for many years. He also introduced me to his daughter, Teresa, who runs the bar now that he's passed. We've been working together at McSorley's side by side for over 25 years," de la Haba said.

"Everybody passes through McSorley's sooner or later. Ai Wei Wei used to live next door to the bar back in the 80s when he was poor and unknown. He loves McSorley's. In fact, it's his favorite bar. And the great poet Allen Ginsberg (of 'Howl' fame) lived on the block as well. He used to peek inside every time he walked by. Robin Williams would spend the entire day in the bar and would sit quietly watching people with that famous smile of his. But probably the most memorable were the men who fought in World War II and lived in the neighborhood and drank in the bar every day. They would have a few mugs of ale and never bragged about who they were or what they did. Honorable, good, hardworking men who witnessed things no one should ever have had to witness."

The interior of McSorley's Old Ale House / Courtesy of Hahn Dae-soo

New York City's East Village is a neighborhood close to de la Haba's heart. It is where, as a teenager, he skateboarded in Washington Square Park and went to concerts at the legendary underground music venue, The World.

"I've spent more time in the East Village than any other place. To this day, there's an energy in the East Village unlike anywhere else and the people I meet here are the most eclectic and colorful. The 'Portal Series' is, by extension, my visual recollection and documentation of this place and time," he said.

Regarding his Portal Series, he said, "For years I've been documenting the doors on the Lower East Side, East Village and in Williamsburg that the graffiti artists and the street artists tag or slap their stickers on." After photographing these doors, "I then make a large-scale print on canvas and bring it to the studio where I create my own art on top of this, whether it's collage work, stencil work or neon lighting work."

Hahn Dae-soo with Gregory de la Haba in his studio / Courtesy of Hahn Dae-soo

His exhibition in Seoul came about because "some of my biggest collectors are from Korea," and it will feature mostly the paintings inspired by the Latvian American artist Mark Rothko, who is best known for his abstract rectangular color forms.

Describing his artistic influences, de la Haba noted that "As a child, it was the Renaissance Masters along with Velazquez, Sargent and Goya that inspired me to become an artist. But something clicked in my mid-20s when I visited the National Gallery in Washington, D.C., and saw this giant Rothko and experienced an emotional charge I never quite felt from a work of art. That's when my journey as a painter truly began. In a sense, I felt I had to start the process of becoming an artist all over again."

Gregory de la Haba stands before a mural of The Clash's singer Joe Strummer. / Courtesy of Hahn Dae-soo

Another influence upon his work, which colors the sensibility of his visual vernacular, is graffiti art, something de la Haba has had intense encounters with since his childhood. When he visited his grandmother's apartment in the New York City borough of Queens, "You could literally put your hand outside the window and almost touch the 7 Train going by. I used to stand at the window with my head leaning out watching the trains go by seeing all the graffiti," which resulted in it becoming "almost like a primordial image that's locked in the brain since I was a kid." Despite never being a street artist or graffiti artist growing up, "I was always inspired by it and I use elements of it in my paintings."

Another aspect of the intensely colorful aesthetic of the "Portal Series" is its channeling of the visual character of casinos. "Gambling is a very big metaphor in my work. Often it's that element of addiction that I'm focusing on. In casinos everything is hyperreal, hyper-inflated ― the colors, the neon ― because it's all about capturing your attention ― and taking all your money."

A casino-influenced example of Gregory de la Haba's "Portal Series" / Courtesy of Hahn Dae-soo

Despite these influences and the resulting vibrant colors, for de la Haba, the series is about "Finding tranquility, finding the calm on top of all the chaos that life brings."

The energy of New York's East Village has been fed by waves of immigration over the decades, and its art scene has had a storied association with many celebrated artists including Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Jeff Koons and Billy the Artist. According to de la Haba, the reason the area remains vital is the constancy of change.

"History repeats itself over and over again even though things are constantly changing. People are always building upon the memory of the past. It's what keeps things in the East Village new and vibrant. Every generation has their moment, regardless if the old guard says 'It's not the same.' We want change. Life demands it. It's the spark that keeps things moving along, alive. And that life force is the primary essence of my art."

De la Haba's exhibition will be held at the Hangaram Art Museum in the Seoul Arts Center, from May 27 to June 4.

Matt VanVolkenburg has a master's degree in Korean studies from the University of Washington. He is the blogger behind?populargusts.blogspot.kr, and co-author of "Called by Another Name: A Memoir of the Gwangju Uprising."