Nikki S. Lee: Projects [Hardcover]

Russell Ferguson (Author), Gilbert Vicario (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2, 2001

Nikki S. Lee: Projects, is part street photography, part performance art. In a series of extraordinary transformations, this young, Korean-born conceptual artist unfolds a multiplicity of lives and identities documented through the lens of her point-and-shoot camera as she ibecomesi a young punk in the East Village, a Connecticut-based exotic dancer, or a senior citizen picking through thrift stores in Murray Hill.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Russell Ferguson is a respected curator and writer. Formerly Associate Curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, he is now the Chief Curator at the UCLA Hammer Museum.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: Hatje Cantz Publishers (September 2, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3775710914
• ISBN-13: 978-3775710916
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 9.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #647,129 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent monograph on rising young art star, November 1, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Nikki S. Lee: Projects (Hardcover)

This is an excellent monograph on this rising young photographer. The reproduction quality is outstanding and the texts are insightful. I highly recommend it.

1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not Blending In, November 28, 2002

By 

"youthxofxthexnation" (Jamestown, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nikki S. Lee: Projects (Hardcover)

I love Nikki's photographs because they show us her trust as an artist and her curiosity with life. The fact that Nikki changed her name to Nikki shows us something in it self. WHy nto keep her original Korean name? We'll never know. I was recently at the Albright-Knox Gallery in Buffalo and this was my first exposure to Nikki's photos I wish Nikki great luck with her coming projects and I can't wait to see more!

11 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars How to melt seamlessly into another subculture, April 9, 2002

By 

nycgirl "nycgirl" (new york city) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Nikki S. Lee: Projects (Hardcover)

After hearing all the hype about Nikki S. Lee and her photoessays into "becoming" part of a social monosphere, i decided to check this book out. Consisting of simple documentary-style snapshots, Nikki neatly portrays her "scrapbook" of how she meshes seamlessly into another subgroup (latinas, skaters, schoolgirls, senior citizens, punks) by adopting their hair, dress, poses, makeup, mannerisms, and turf.

With the help of wrinkled skin, powdery white wig, and saggy stockings, Nikki transforms herself into an old lady: a snapshot of her getting off the bus in a slow, painful manner illustrates how she not only takes on the look of a certain group, but their whole soul and gestalt. In another montage, we see Nikki with piercings, spiked leather, fishnets, smeared makeup, hanging out with the Trash & Vaudeville crowd. She doesnt look awkward or "wanna be"; blending in as seamlessly as possible is Nikki's goal, which she finesses quite well. Next we see Nikki as white trash, donning a peroxide blond wig, stained cutoffs, cavorting with toothless, beer-belly trailer trash. It's effective and fascinating to see this innocent asian girl switch personas without mocking the subgroups in question. She actually pulls off the latina chola look, unblended lipliner, door-knocker earrings and all--and the best thing is that she does it so innocently, like an admirer looking up to that subculture's beauty ideal. Nikki's portraits are filled with detail and such realism that we forget who Nikki really is for a moment.

I find that of all nikki's "projects", the ones that have most draw are the ones most extreme, and i found some of the projects unimaginative and downright unnecessary. Why include a "Yuppie project" at all? Anyone can don a pair of Dockers and overcoat and look like a Wall Streeter--how boring. Even I can do that! And the "Japanese Schoolgirl" project--As an asian girl with young features--Nikki already looks like a schoolgirl and thus does not have to try very hard to appear like one. The "Tourist" project is also pedestrian: How hard is it to put on some bermuda shorts, fanny pack, fat camera and unfolded map to look like a tourist in New York? Not very. But how hard is it for a normal person to look like a realistic Goth? See, It isn't a challenge portraying a group close to one's own--but it is much more challenging to portray a group removed from your ethnicity, age, and mainstream--which is why the Latina project and the Punk project are triumphs. The others could have used some more imagination. Overall, an interesting compilation of photographs, but not every series is a winner.