Master's Theses

Document Type

Thesis

Date of Award

Spring 2023

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

Department

Art

Advisor

Karrie Simpson Voth

Abstract

Mycelium (noun)

/mʌɪˈsiːlɪəm/

plural: mycelia

the vegetative, root-like part of a fungus, consisting of a network of fine white thread-like filaments (hyphae).

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From as long as I can remember,

I’ve drawn inspiration from nature. I’ve always looked to create art and designs that contain the same visual elements and story-telling that is so present in nature.

In mycelia, I found inspiration in the fact that they are vital in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems for their role in the decomposition of material. They give life to what has died, turning negative into positive.

TATUME ISLAND Tattoo Studio was born out of turning the biggest insecurity in my life into something positive through the power of my art and design skills, represented by the “flying elephant” logo.

TATUME also draws inspiration from my roots in South Korea, such as the use of the Hangul alphabet and my choice of colors. While my origins don’t define me, they are an aspect of my life I am proud of and not hesitant to show.

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Mycelium is also an important food source for many soil invertebrates and a primary factor in the health of plants. Trees can communicate and share nutrients with each other via mycelium, which has its own network design. Mycelium is everywhere, storing memories and information in their cell since they first appeared on this planet. In short, mycelium is vital to nature.

With my book “NOTES OF ARTEMIS”, I hope to inform more people about nature and the amazing creatures that it hosts. It was born out of my love for animals and my sympathy for their suffering. I hope you fall in love with them, just like I did.

The project “PEACE FOR UKRAINE” was also created because I wanted to find a way to use my artistic skills to help ease the suffering in Ukraine. All proceeds from that sale went to help Ukrainian families.

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If my bachelor's degree was about honing my ink-pen art style, found in my illustrations and tattoos, and learning to apply it to graphic design, my MFA study was about challenging myself to learn new skills and how to work with different materials.

Like mycelium grows one cell at a time, eventually branching out to cover the whole planet, I too hope to branch out my art.

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Rights

© 2023 Minjoo Lee

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