Veteran Artist Jim Dine Explores Humanity Through Pinocchio

Ninety-one-year-old American artist Jim Dine is showcasing a new series of works centered on the iconic character of Pinocchio, exploring the figure's complex symbolism in his exhibition 'My Words & Pinocchio.' The exhibition, which opened on April 28th at the Phoebe Gallery in Seoul, features charcoal inscriptions and eight new paintings.

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Burnt his poor feet, his bad judgment, his vanity, his long nose…. I have lived with him on my back since I was six years old.

Dine, who has been deeply engaged with the Pinocchio motif since childhood, describes the character not as the cheerful figure from Disney, but as a representation of a "human being in the midst of a long journey." His paintings depict Pinocchio with distorted faces, unnatural poses, and a generally unsettling atmosphere, reflecting a more profound and sometimes 불안한 (unsettling) aspect of the human condition.

During the press preview, Dine explained that the story of Pinocchio, with his growing nose and donkey ears, initially evoked fear in him as a child. However, he later came to understand it as a process of transformation and becoming truly human. This exhibition delves into those themes of imperfection, self-discovery, and the arduous path toward authenticity.

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The story of lying and growing a nose and donkey ears was a horror to me when I was young. But later I realized it was the process of becoming a real human being.

The exhibition also includes three works that combine Dine's poetry with visual art. These pieces involve a meticulous process of writing, erasing, and rearranging words, emphasizing the visual structure of language over conventional narrative meaning. Dine, who has dyslexia, stated that words and images hold the same significance for him, often finding solace and expression in poetry due to his difficulty finishing novels.

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My Pinocchio is not a character with a big smile and empty eyes. He is a human being who has experienced many things and gone through a long journey.

Dine, a significant figure in contemporary art since the 1950s and 60s, is known for his recurring use of motifs like "bathrobes" and "hearts," and more recently, "Pinocchio." His large-scale Pinocchio sculpture is a well-known landmark in Busan. The artist reflects that art is an unstoppable act for him, suggesting that without it, he might have been collecting trash on the streets. The exhibition runs until July 4th.

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For me, art is an unstoppable act. If it weren't for art, I would probably be picking up trash on the street.