Daejeon artists prepare for next DJAC exhibition

James Knaack works in his studio. Courtesy of James Knaack

The Daejeon Arts Collective (DJAC) will present its fall 2024 exhibition at Yun Gallery in Daejeon from Sept. 19 to 25. The DJAC is a loose association of artists from around the world who live in Daejeon and want a place where they can showcase their artwork.

Since 2011, DJAC has brought together artists to create a creative network of support for group exhibitions and the ongoing artistic development of its members. Its many exhibitions over the years have also helped build a sense of community within the city of Daejeon.

Before the collective's group exhibition, The Korea Times sat down with artist James Knaack, one of the presenting artists. Knaack is an American multimedia artist who has worked in conceptual art, ceramics and photography. He studied art as an undergraduate student and majored in philosophy. He earned a master's degree in bilingual and bicultural education and completed all necessary coursework for a master of fine arts degree in ceramics from Kongju National University in South Chungcheong Province. He has participated in many group exhibitions in Daejeon and had solo shows at Gallery DJAC and other galleries around the city. He is a professor of English at Hongik University's Sejong campus.

Knaack's many years of involvement in the DJAC have facilitated his artistic development. He shares his home ceramic studio with his wife, DJAC President Rosalie Osborn Knaack, learned cyanotype printmaking from architect Suné Horn and developed his street photography with artist Hank Haddock.

Knaack often uses older artistic tools, such as his typewriter or film cameras and other media touched by time. During the interview, he said, "I actually don't see myself as nostalgic at all. I love what you can get from the digital different forms of these tools. What I like about the old tools is that they are physically beautiful, and very often, they're made in such a way that the experience of using them is pleasurable."

He added, "Regardless of what I'm doing with the tool, the tool itself has its own presence."

Speaking of his vintage camera, he said, "Just the tactile experience, it has knurled metal knobs and the little bellows that unfurl on that particular model of camera (that) make the use of it feel like a little ritual. I almost care about the experience of using it more than the output in some cases."

James Knaack's Kodak camera / Courtesy of James Knaack

Rituals have played a key role in his previous work, lending a performative process-based aspect to much of his work.

"I like the idea of repeated activities that can be used as mental-clearance tools," he said. "I don't go to church, but what I appreciate about some churches is that they have ideas of cleansing rituals, or rituals of forgiveness, or these kinds of methods in which a person can course-correct in some fashion. But those rituals all seem arbitrary, and I don't connect with that. I like coming up with my own patterns. Sometimes I like coming up with those patterns just to demonstrate to other people, 'Hey, these things are arbitrary' — any of us can come up with our own setting patterns."

James Knaack's photography, titled "Spiritual Housewares" / Courtesy of James Knaack

Despite this oppositional stance, Knaack admits that he doesn't like to be the center of attention. Much of his work has a quiet, observational quality, including the photos from his previous solo show, "At Home in the Heartland."

His life in Daejeon has impacted the themes of his work as well as subject matter. Much of his ceramic work relies on grid patterns, a technique for city development that dates from antiquity and originated in multiple cultures around the world. Using molds, he creates ceramics in grid patterns that mirror the rapid development and mass-produced quality of many buildings in Daejeon. He uses techniques such as pit-firing for his ceramics, which has been done in Korea dating as early as 7000 BCE.

James Knaack's 2023 art piece "Priory of the Celestial Ascension" displays a little fragment of an imaginary city. Courtesy of James Knaack

And perhaps Daejeon's reputation as a leader in science and tech has influenced Knaack as well. Using electromagnets, many of his ceramic citiescapes literally levitate off the pedestal. These pieces provide a space for the viewer to project their own narratives onto them.

James Knaack's 2023 art piece "Priory of the Celestial Ascension" is seen to hover above the surface. Courtesy of James Knaack

“I'm trying to make things that look like time and accidents have happened to them," he said. "I like the idea of trying to create an instant artifact.”

The pieces feel paradoxically ancient yet futuristic; they seem capable of hosting a sci-fi civilization while also fitting into the palm of your hand.

The latest DJAC group exhibition will be at Yun Gallery in Daejeon's Seonhwa-dong from Sept. 19 to 25, open each day from 10:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. There will be an opening party on Sept. 21 from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m.

The DJAC is recruiting new members. Artists interested in applying can visit djartsco.org or message @daejeonartsco on Instagram.

Monica Nickolai is a writer and artist. Her text-based artwork has appeared at exhibitions in the U.S., Europe and Korea. She currently lives in Daejeon and teaches at Hongik University's Sejong Campus. Visit monicanickolai.com for more information.