Four years ago, DJ and artist, Tommii Lim injured his right eye in an accident. After a forced year off from making art and staying out of the sun, his eye healed long enough to undergo corneal transplant surgery. He was left with one good eye and one eye with 27 stitches, a cadaver cornea, and distorted vision. Lim's life slowed down dramatically and the way he viewed the world changed completely. His new installation, Ghost Eyes, at The Standard, Hollywood documents this new view of life.
Standard Culture: Tell us about Ghost Eyes.
Tommii Lim: Ghost Eyes is an abstracted depiction of my journey from 4 years ago till now. The Box piece, titled Time Machine, can be viewed as a portal through my life, space, and time. It is a snapshot of the fast-forwarding of life and is a reminder to not just go through life, but to learn to enjoy it. I've learned to appreciate the world around me.
How do you feel about your art sharing space with a live model?
I love it. It excites me anytime a third dimension can be added to an otherwise flat piece. I created Time Machine site-specifically for The Box. The beautiful model relaxing in front of the busy portal acts as a symbol of the difference between taking the time to enjoy life or hurling through it like a space ship going at warp speed.
Do you find that your music and art often evolve together? Did you have any musical inspirations while creating this work?
Yes, I find that whatever I am doing in life affects my artwork and vice versa. I got a lot of inspiration from going to SXSW right before I started creating for the show, along with listening to a lot of KCRW podcasts. You can hear some of my own mixes on my site, uglyfresh.com.
As a resident of DTLA, what are your favorite hot spots? What are a couple of classics that you hope never go away?
Beer: King Eddy's Saloon or Spring St. Bar-go on the off nights.
Coffee: Coffee Colab, brand new coffee shop by the homies, coolest coffee shop in DTLA.
Eats: Tacos Mexico, Pho 87, Koraku in Little Tokyo for ramen.
What’s up next for you?
I'm art directing and curating a new music, art, and food festival, called K-Town Block Party, with artists like Far East Movement, Tokimonsta, and Mr. Cartoon. It will be an interactive mashup of live music acts, live murals and new foods.
Tommii Lim's installation for The Box at The Standard, Hollywood will be on display through early July.
