Lee Jung-seop Art Street in Jeju Island
We stopped by Lee Jung-seop Street for lunch. I don't know much about art, so the only thing that comes to mind when I hear Lee Jung-seop is his famous, intense painting of a bull. Since an artists' street has sprung up around his former residence, I figured he must have spent most of his life in Jeju Island, but honestly, it wasn't that interesting to me. When I hear "artists' street," I imagine paintings hanging everywhere and painters completely engrossed in their work, oblivious to their surroundings. Instead, this street just feels like a massive boutique. Of course, women of all ages who love giant boutiques were peeking into every shop, picking things up and looking around. Yeah, I just really hate shopping.
Why does a region where he stayed for such a short time honor him so passionately? Is it because it was recorded as the happiest place in his life? Or the most painful? Or was the mayor of Seogwipo just being clever? I don't know the exact reason, but it's clear he was an incredible figure. To gather so many people and create an entire village using just the name Lee Jung-seop—at a residence that doesn't even house a single piece of his artwork—means he must have left a powerful impression on people as a painter. As someone who has never seen his work in person, and who would probably just say, "Oh! So this is Lee Jung-seop's bull?" and walk right past it in 10 seconds, it's a level of appreciation I just can't relate to.
Now that I'm writing this, I kind of want to go see his artwork. I wonder where I can find it. I just hope it hasn't all been taken to the Louvre in France or to Japan, making it impossible to see in Korea.
