WORDS BY LUCY DE LOTBINIERE

PHOTOS BY ORI TANNENBAUM

SungJoon Kim (‘20) has been creating art out of something Wesleyan students see every day. After hanging out in his room one night and being asked to doodle on a Marketplace Receipt, the ones that almost every student is given each day, I was instantly intrigued by what he had started to envision. It is simple and expressive, and while I know this doodle project is only a starting point, this idea has already been an inclusive and creative way to get to know new people. Although it is only one of the countless things he will create at his time here, I wanted to show other people one of the ways in which students are being artistic outside of the classroom.

What is the origin of these meal receipt doodles?

So basically I came to Wesleyan and before coming here a lot of people were worrying about wall décor and room décor and I did not think about any of that in the slightest. Once my roommate was unpacking all of his things, I realized I literally had nothing and felt kind of bad and a little depressed because it was so empty and boring. I started collecting these meal receipts and I taped them up. I had about half a row of empty meal receipts, and my idea was to do exactly what I’m doing now, but just empty. I’m really into that kind of aesthetic oddly, just like collections of the same or varied of the same stuff. We were hanging out and Jefferson, my friend from across the hall, had this idea to doodle on all of them, and I thought that I couldn’t do it all by myself. I handed them out to everyone who was in the room at the time, and they all did one. We loved them and so it picked up from there.

What was the first one you drew? If you remember...

They’re all hung up in chronological order. Jefferson made the first one.

Pick a favorite doodle

Probably the “worm-dude.” Ella Larson did it. (below)

Favorite thing you created in sculpture class?

I made a cigarette butt sculpture after being given the assignment of assembling found objects. I went around campus and picked up cigarette butts. We also had a destruction project, I made a Vaseline covered cotton ball figure, and we watched it combust and videoed the whole thing.

What creative things did you do in high school?

Well in high school I actually took sculpture for two years, and we did a lot of welding. I made a massive shoe out of a bicycle, a rod with wheels, chicken wire, and fabric.

It’s huge! Yea..it was a lot.

Do you prefer more freedom or instruction in an assignment?

I definitely prefer more freedom than less when it comes to creative assignments. Here, I’ve been given general assignments about assemblage or deconstruction, and I enjoy those more than say the plaster carving or clay skulls. But of course, I appreciate those assignments as well because they take a certain level of patience and focus. I find freedom easier.

Last place you went on your bike?

To Olin and back.

Favorite place on campus?

I really like the CFA. I enjoy having class there. It is very calming and less populated.

What’s the last thing you ate?

A mini kit kat.

Siblings?

I have an older brother, he is 10 years older than me and is doing Taekwondo.

What are you involved in on campus?

I’m being trained for the radio station at WESU. My goal is to do a radio talk show with my friend Jake. It’s a cool space – with records all over the wall.

Describe college in three words.

Fun. Liberating. Thankful.

Weirdest and best thing in your room?

That blanket hanging on the wall that I am using as a headboard. I got it at Goodwill and I’m hanging it backwards because I like the look of the back way more.

What were you for Halloween?

I was Steve Jobs, part of Steve Mob. And Rufus from Kim Possible.