Artist Spotlight: Go Woon Choi -- Metaphor

Go Woon Choi, Untitled 02, Oil, 40 x 30"

Metaphor is a collection of new paintings by Korean-born artist Go Woon Choi investigating the beauty and possibilities of everyday objects. The idea came from interpreting interesting forms comprised of light and shadows of common objects around her. This exploration led Choi to crumpled foils and eventually to make compositions with what she calls abstract metals.

Go Woon Choi, Untitled 04, Oil, 40 x 30"

“If someone were to ask me why I paint metal, I would say I love the strong feeling and my one of my old past times was welding sculpture. I will continue to work on these series to make more layers or more variety shapes or colors.”

Go Woon Choi, Untitled 09, Oil, 40 x 30"

Choi’s interest in common objects is rooted in her idea that “even common objects can appear strong and fantastic under different light conditions and environments”. She transforms ordinary objects into extraordinary visual experiences, with repetition and variation. The light changes on the surfaces to give an impression of constant motion. Sharing the process of their becoming, ordinary objects can provoke intense emotions of strength and energy.

Go Woon Choi, Untitled 06, Oil, 30 x 40"

The show runs through November 17.
Reception: Saturday, October 27, 5-8 pm
Artist Talk: Saturday, November 10th, 3 PM

Current Exhibition: Go Woon Choi, Katie Crown, Camey McGilvray, Damon Reinagle

October 23 – November 17, 2018
Reception: Saturday, October 27, 5-8 pm
Artist Talk: Saturday, November 10th, 3pm

Go Woon Choi - Metaphor

Go Woon Choi, Untitled 01, Oil, 30 x 48

Katie Crown - Waterworks

Katie Crown, Fly Away, Watercolor and gouache on paper, 47 x 41"

Camey McGilvray - Wire World

Camey McGilvray, Rapunzel, Powder coated steel, 75 x 30 x 3"

Damon Reinagle - Hidden Agendas

Damon Reinagle, Her Royal Magesty, 32 x 18

Artist Spotlight: Go Woon Choi's "Daldongne"

Go Woon Choi, Untitled01, Acrylic, 24 x 30"

Go Woon Choi’s newest exhibition at TAG, entitled Daldongne, explores the purpose and beauty in what she calls "the town of shacks".

Go Woon Choi, Untitled02, Acrylic, 24 x 30"

Exploring and expanding on her interest in the structural and sometimes abstract nature of architecture, the town of shacks symbolizes "the warm memory of my childhood" and "vanished things that will not exist anymore". Buildings and apartments filled out the city, and she painted this in various ways from her perspective.

Go Woon Choi, Untitled06, Acrylic, 24 x 30"

Choi’s interest in mundane, everyday items is rooted in her ideology that “even common objects can appear strong and fantastic under different light conditions and environments" and she transforms ordinary objects into extraordinary visual experiences with both repetition and variation. 

Go Woon Choi, Untitled05, Acrylic, 24 x 30"

The light changes on the surface to give an impression of constant motion, sharing the process of its becoming. Henceforth ordinary objects can provoke intense emotions of strength and energy.

Choi's work will be up until  July 8th.

There will be an Artist Panel Discussion: Saturday, July 1st, 3pm

Current Exhibition: Go Woon Choi, Paul Ivanushka, Camey McGilvray

Tuesday, June 13th - Saturday, July 8th, 2017

Opening Reception: Saturday, June 17, 5–8pm

Artist Panel Discussion: Saturday, July 1, 3pm

Go Woon Choi - Daldongne

Go Woon Choi, Untitled 12, Acrylic, 24 x 48"

Paul Ivanushka – Carrizo Plain

Paul Ivanushka, Primary Water Trough, Archieval Pigment Print, 16 x 16"

Camey McGilvray – My Favorite Things

Camey McGilvray, Body Shop, Oil / Wood / Wire, 37 x 49 x 5"

Artist Spotlight: Go Woon Choi

Everyday Life is the title of Go Woon Choi's current exhibition at TAG, through March 19, 2016.

Go Woon Choi, Prop Composition 01, Oil, 40 x 30"

She is showcasing a series of oil on canvas paintings exploring the beauty and abstract possibilities of common objects. Reflection, refraction, transparency, color, and composition are all considered with great attention to detail.

It all started during one of Choi's travels, when she saw some tools piled in a blue plastic box at a hardware store. She felt compelled to capture the strong feeling the jumble of shapes, reflections, and colors invoked.

Go Woon Choi, Blue Tool Composition 01 01, Oil, 40 x 30"

Back in her studio, she began to set up compositions to paint, arranging disparate objects that aren't typically seen grouped together -- a magpie assortment of shiny things.

Go Woon Choi, Red Prop Composition 05, Oil, 30 x 24"

The use of the background negative space is also carefully considered. Combinations of red, yellow, or blue with black or even shiny foil are arranged to give maximum impact, pushing the very real objects into an abstract realm.

Go Woon Choi, Toy Car Composition 01, Oil, 30 x 24"

Concentrating on color, form, and the play of light, Choi transcends the quotidian function of the objects and creates a hybrid of hyper realism and semi-abstraction. For example, Yellow Prop Composition 01 has tools and a shower hanger but it looks like an abstract painting from far away.

Go Woon Choi, Yellow Prop Composition 01, Oil, 30 x 24"

"Even common objects can appear strong and fantastic under different light conditions and environments," says Choi.

Go Woon will be part of an Artist Panel at TAG this Saturday, March 12, 3pm.
Feel free to leave her any questions here in the comments.

Coming Exhibition: Go Woon Choi, Michael Knight, Elyse Wyman

February 23 – March 19th, 2016 

Opening Reception: 
Saturday, February 27,  5 – 8pm 

Artist Panel Discussion: 
Saturday, March 12, 2pm 

Go Woon Choi  
Everyday Life 

Go Woon Choi, Red Prop Composition 04, Oil, 30 x 24"

Go Woon Choi’s recent body of work is a unique exploration of everyday objects. Her interest in common objects is rooted in her idea that “even common objects can appear strange and fantastic under different light conditions and environments”. Transforming ordinary objects into extraordinary visual experiences, Choi concentrates on the reflection of light and silhouettes of her imagery. Buttons, clips, toys and metal objects in her paintings are depicted in close-up views and compositions that give the objects a new life.

Honing in on minute details, each object is substantially represented while the various, objects are combined into one surreal construction; building a hybrid form of semi-abstraction. The monochromatic colors in the background stresses the silhouette of the whole image, whereas the imagery itself continues to develop beyond the canvas. Subsequently, the changing light on the surface give an impression as if the form is in motion.

“Artists reinterpret the subject of art by imbuing artistic recreation in different elements of our daily life. Our interpretation was not a concept learned in school, but what our eyes have seen and our senses have felt.”

Michael Knight
Superstitious

Michael Knight, On Tilt, Scratchboard, 11 x 14"

In his latest body of work, Michael Knight explores the ideas behind our superstitions, myths, and beliefs. Reacting to the world around us in irrational ways seems an easy thing to do. Frightened by that which is unknown and mysterious, we establish belief systems, customs and notions meant to help us cope with and control that which we do not understand; circumstances which we wish to influence.

From our lucky shirts and magic numbers to the avoidance of ladders and black cats we establish rites and rituals to protect us. From whim to obsession, from the scratching of lines on the stone walls of Lascaux to the etched marks depicting the talismans and traditions collected in this exhibit, we hedge our bets seeking safety and good fortune. Meanwhile the laws of nature reveal most of this to be non-sense and fate and chance exert their strong grasp as we struggle to avoid bad luck.

Elyse Wyman 
Sign Language

Elyse Wyman, No Outlet, Mixed media bas relief, 34 x 15 x 4"

In No Outlet, Elyse Wyman explores the dynamics and interrelationships of female identity, sexuality, gender stereotypes, and self-worth. Wyman’s sculptures illuminate a deeper emotional level generally hidden by the more carefully managed armor we display to the outer world. The transparent forms in her work reveal the female torso as both physical and psychological containers, as well as allegorical muse.

Throughout this new work Wyman fuses separate entities to reveal things we often take for granted. Seemingly ordinary road and warning signs take on new meaning when placed inside the female form. This intersection of disparate elements results in new, sometimes impishly humorous interpretations. Layered with significant objects, paintings, and personal fragments, the torsos expose the female figure to deeper scrutiny, functioning as both object and subject. These visual double entendres demonstrate how context can determine meaning and how meaning changes according to context.