yong ho ji: hybrid human tire sculptures

‘wolf man 1’ (hybrid human) by yong ho ji 2010 130 x 240 x 180 cm used tires, steel, synthetic resin image courtesy of gana art

korean artist yong ho ji has expanded his ‘mutant mythos’ series, continuing to create sculptures with layers of used tire strips bound together by synthetic resins on supporting frames of steel, wood, or styrofoam. examining genetically modified organisms and darwin’s evolutionary theory, this body of work depicts eight stages of transformation in the tradition of classical sculpture: carnivorous, herbivorous and omnivorous animals, anthropods, fish, hybrid animals, hybrid humans, and finally humans.

having grown up at the base of a large mountain in korea, ji adopted tires as his signature material based on a childhood memory of the spare wheel on his family’s jeep, vital in the rural landscape where his grandmother raised cattle and other livestock. this early exposure to both domesticated and wild animals informed his desire to make art about humanity’s responsibility to nature, via subject matter as well as recycled materials.

‘man 1’ (human) 2011 90 x 100 x 180 cm used tires, steel, synthetic resin image courtesy of gana art

‘man 1’, side views images courtesy of yong ho ji

‘bull man 4’ (hybrid human) 2010 100 x 150 x 200 cm used tires, steel, synthetic resin image courtesy of gana art

‘horse man 2’ (hybrid human) 2011 150 x 150 x 200cm used tires, steel, synthetic resin images courtesy of yong ho ji

‘deer woman 2’ (hybrid human) 2009 43 x 75 x 155 cm used tires, steel, synthetic resin images courtesy of yong ho ji

‘shark 13’ (fish) 2011 240 x 130 x 110 cm used tire, synthetic resins images courtesy of yong ho ji

‘zebra head 11’ (herbivorous animal) 2010 105 x 52 x 90 cm used tire, steel, wood, styrofoam images courtesy of yong ho ji