As a result of his worldwide renown, Bae Bien-U was awarded a commission by the Spanish government to photograph the Alhambra and Generalife Gardens, which were designated a World Heritage Site in 1984. He has also taken photographs of Changdeokgung Palace and pine trees in Gyeongju, Korea, and exotic flowers and trees in Tahiti. Though he has traveled far and wide during his career, Bae′s favorite subject remains the seascape nearby his hometown of Yeosu, Jeollanam-do Province.

Yoon Seyoung Editor-in-Chief, Sajin Yesul

According to Bae, the best approach to taking outstanding photographs is simply to "take as many photos as possible." When I asked him whether he was still taking photographs of pine trees after 25 years, Bae said that the pine trees, like his career, have undergone considerable change over time.

In 2010, the main stage of Bae Bien-U′s activities will be the European region. His trademark pine-tree photographs are being featured in the posters and postcards of a music festival to be staged in Salzburg, Austria, in the summer of 2010. Bae will present an exhibition of his works during the festival. In addition, he is also scheduled to lecture at the University of Zurich as a guest professor, and hold another exhibition in November in Paris.
During the late 1990s, Bae started to exhibit his photographic works abroad. In recent years, he has held more exhibitions in faraway places such as New York, Paris, London, Zurich, Berlin, and Madrid, than in Korea. Moreover, Bae′s global status as a distinguished photographer has been further highlighted by the inclusion of his works in the collections of world-famous institutions, including the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, Museum of Contemporary Photography, and The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo along with Sol Le Witt′s Collection, Elton John′s Collection, and the Sisley Collection.

An Eye for the Horizontal
A large-scale retrospective exhibition of Bae′s photographic career was presented at the National Museum of Contemporary Art, Deoksugung, in November 2009. The organizing committee stated that the exhibition was intended to provide the public with an opportunity to appreciate the pictorial essence of Bae′s photographic world. The 97 selected works included photographs of the exquisite seaside and landscape scenery around Bae′s hometown, pine trees, graceful ridgelines of Korean mountains and hills, and Biwon Garden of Changdeokgung Palace, as well as the Alhambra and Generalife Gardens in Spain. The photographs capture the wondrous harmony of the natural and man-made realms. The National Museum of Contemporary Art noted that Bae′s use of visual art expressions has made it possible for peoples from different historical backgrounds and cultures to engage in two-way communication based on the Korean traditional sense of beauty, while this impressive exhibition marked another milestone in Bae′s rise to the upper echelon of world-class photographic professionals.
Bae′s works combine feminine delicacy and masculine boldness. While being captivated by the allure of the boundless sea, he can be equally charmed by a simple flower or tree. In large part, it is the combination of his delicate and metaphorical expression with his magnanimous character that enables audiences to experience the masculine and feminine aspects which permeate his works. Moreover, it is the encounter between his frank personality, unbounded style of expression, and intense emotions, which elevates Bae′s photographs of pine trees, the seas, Tahitian flowers, and the magnificent architecture of Jongmyo Shrine, into true works of art.
Kim Jong Ku, a professor at Ewha Womans University, has cited Bae′s unique eye for the horizontal as the key reason his works can resonate with the sentiments of Eastern audiences and those of the Western world as well. As such, Bae′s photographs of pine trees and seascape scenery exude a sense of calm, presence, and deepness among viewers. Of course, landscape scenery is a favorite subject of countless photographers; however, in the case of Bae, his scenic photographs manage to strike a deep chord within Korean and foreign audiences because of the magnificent beauty and profoundness that are revealed through his tranquil and quiet expression.

Seascape and Pine Trees
Bae is widely known at home and abroad for his highly acclaimed pine-tree series. However, Bae has indicated that the first and final photographs he intends to take during his career will be of the Yeosu seas, not pine trees. Born in Yeosu, Jeollanam-do Province, Bae was fond of drawing pictures from the time he entered elementary school. While studying Visual Communication Design at Hongik University, he was introduced to the world of photography by an upperclassman. His passion for photography, together with what he describes as an unquenchable wanderlust, charted a path into the world beyond Korea.
"When I was a child, I didn′t have a camera so I would instead draw pictures of the seaside. Thus, I have always said that I started taking pictures of the sea from when I was in the first grade. To me, the sea is my hometown, my inspiration, and the place where I feel most comfortable. I regard the south coast of Korea as my home, and it will continue to be my primary theme until I retire."
An ardent traveler, Bae has visited a number of coastal areas with picturesque scenery, including the Mediterranean. However, he claims that such journeys have only served to confirm his regard for the wondrous beauty of Korea′s south coast. He is thus driven by an intense desire to make the gorgeous seascape of the South Sea better known to the world. For Bae, who says that he is happiest when gazing out at the seas of Yeosu, he derives immense pleasure from simply wandering around the camellia and pine trees found on any of the numerous small islands scattered about the waters off Korea′s southern coast.
Contrary to his outgoing nature, Bae has a greater interest in plant life than in the animal world. In fact, while on a tour of Africa, he preferred to view the savanna landscape instead of venturing about on a safari expedition. Bae recalls that he was particularly impressed by the baobab tree. He is especially curious about native trees, flowers, and open plains. His affection for flora is reflected in his photographs of the pine trees of Gyeongju, mountain ridges of Jejudo Island, and the forests of Tahiti. As a result of an exhibition of his famed pine-tree series held at the Thyssen Art Gallery in Spain in 2006, Bae was awarded a commission by the Spanish government to photograph the Alhambra buildings and natural scenery of Generalife Gardens.
Bae′s photographs adeptly integrate the graceful beauty of Korea′s traditional form of painting, known as sumukhwa (ink painting). In his photographs, the shades of black and gray used in an ink painting are replaced by gradations of darkness and lightness. Moreover, the elegant hand-rendered partitioned spaces of the ink painting are replicated through a salient use of blank space in his photographs. The appeal of his works does not originate from the vertical or curved trunks of the pine trees that crisscross his images, but rather from the blank spaces between the pine trees that create an impression of coming upon a forest emerging from a shroud of mist.
His photographs of the mountain ridges of Jejudo Island and seascape scenery reveal similar effects. The contoured mountain ridges create blank spaces at the point where the sky and mountains intersect, but such spaces are never empty voids. Rather, the viewer is free to complete the space with his own desires and dreams. In the traditional Korean form of ink painting, the blank space is equally important as the painted areas, in regard to the overall composition. As such, Bae′s ability to apply this traditional principle to his photography is the reason his works have managed to catch the eye of even the most discriminating viewers in Korea and abroad.

Continuous Clicking
These days, Bae′s professional fame has reached a height that he probably thought might never be possible at the time when he first took up photography some 30 years ago. However, his feet remain firmly planted on the ground, while his passion for photography has not diminished in the least over the years. Still, never in his wildest dreams could he have imagined, while taking photographs of pine trees, that a single photograph of his would command a price of 100 million won (about $90,000). The presidents of renowned brands, such as Sisley, Mango, and Cartier are now fans and collectors of his works. During the Korea-U.S.
summit held in June 2009, President Lee Myung-bak presented President Barack Obama with an album of Bae′s works, entitled The Beauty of Korea. It can be said that his photographs are a kind of universal language.
He does not believe that this remarkable success has resulted solely from his own doing. That being said, Bae feels that in all probability anyone who is willing to pursue a career over the long term and remains committed to his principles is likely to experience a moment when the planets fall into perfect alignment. But such fortuitous circumstances, which can appear out of the blue, can also disappear just as quickly. In any case, this is of no concern to Bae, since he simply loves everything about photography itself, regardless of whatever ups and downs his career might experience.
While reflecting on his future, Bae notes: "If I ever take all the photographs of the south coast scenery, I will probably wrap up my career as a photographer. I do not know how long I will be able to keep taking photographs, but it seems that I should be able to make my way to the seashore for at least another ten years, don′t you think?"
During his 30-year tenure as a professor at the Seoul Institute of the Arts, Bae has constantly admonished his students with a basic credo: "There are no shortcuts. Just work hard and a path will open up for you." This can be taken to mean that there are no secrets to success; it ultimately results from the commitment of your time and effort. According to Bae, the best approach to taking outstanding photographs is simply to "take as many photos as possible." That is exactly what he does. When I asked him whether he was still taking photographs of pine trees after 25 years, Bae said that the pine trees, like his career, have undergone considerable change over time.
The same is true for the sea as well. Although the seaside is a constant presence, it is forever changing-from high tide to low tide, morning to evening, from season to season. But even in the case of an unchanging subject, there are always different ways for it to be viewed. It is for such reasons that he feels the need to continuously take photographs.