In Korea, the body of the artist emerged in a social context in the late 1960s. It was an era when individuals were politically oppressed while the industrial base was economically strengthened. In the 1970s, Lee Gun-yong embodied the expression of the body, which he expressed in a compulsive and behavioral form and used as a tool for his work. Lee's body not only broke down the existing dichotomous boundaries between the actor and the object of action, but also produced an artistic metaphor on a social level. However, previous research on Lee has focused on his work as an act of thinking rather than a body. In this regard, this study attempts to reread Lees performance art in the 1970s, focusing on the artist's body. Specifically, this study examines physical aesthetics as a social metaphor by dividing Lee's performing art into drawing works made through physical actions and events that emphasized logic.

Artist's Body, Body Aesthetics, Lee Gun-yong, Performing Art, 1970s