Five Artists, Five Works
Photo, Writings
2015
Fountain, No Head
Baines Sesay Installation in a Black art show Sesay was born and raised in Nigeria. In summer 2013, he went back to the village where he grew up. He witnessed the people's suffering from the water shortage. The warlord controlled the water source to secure his power, much like in the Mad Max: Fury Road. In this piece, by building an enclosure around the only drinking fountain in this gallery, Sesay transformed a building code mandated facility into a work of art. The viewer can only appreciate the drinking fountain from a distance, in contrast, the paid members and the staff have full access to the drinking fountain at all time for mouth refreshing. “FITNESS SUITE,” Sesay says, "is a camouflage of contemporary Dictatorship." He wants the Western viewers to experience the hardship and social injustice that brought up by a totalitarian regime, even just for a brief moment, in imagination. REALLY CONTEMPLATE ABOUT THEIR PRIVILEGE. The question Sesay raised in this piece is rather provocative: do you want the membership? |
Fitness Suite
Travis Kim Print in a street photography show 16x20 in. Kim escaped to South Korea with his family during the Korean War when he was five. Subsequently, they received the asylum visa from the US. The family moved to Memphis, Tennessee where there was no war and pain. When Kim was 11 years old, one day he was running in the street, minding his own business. He tripped by 17 years old William Eggleston in an accident, who just got off the school and was on a photo hunt. When the accident happened, Eggleston was walking backward and eyes on the viewfinder trying to compose an aesthetically pleasing picture. Though Kim broke his arm during the fall. Kim and Eggleston quickly became friends after. Kim’s style has a great deal of resemblance of Eggleston's: bold red, cold walls, and serene composition. This is the first time Kim has ever shown his works to the public. Kim has an eye for mundane poetic subjects. In this piece, Kim incorporates three primary colors to create this visually stunning frame within a frame image. The question Kim raised in this piece is rather provocative: do you want the membership? |
Untitled
Lucy Zhang Oil on Canvas in a landscape painting show 5x7ft. Zhang graduated from the Beijing Academy of Fine Art in 2000. Zhang is known for her representation skill. She painted this painting in the exact size and scale of the original scene. The painting embraces the viewer into the picture plane rather than waits to be stared at. Traditionally, the painting is often thought as a window to another world. Zhang says, “I remember the excitement when I first learned how to draw in perspective. It was real magic to me -- the sensation of deep space. I told myself, this is art, this is the history, and this is the future.” Zhang is also deeply concerned about the rising obesity in America. She hopes this work can courage the viewer to get out of their home and join the fitness suite. The question Zhang raised in this piece is rather provocative: do you want the membership? |
Door, Door, Door
Maintaining Staff Artist Group Site-specific intervention in a school gym Real life size This work is created by a mysterious artist collective. During the day, they work as maintaining staff to create a better living and studying environment for students. At night, they find broken doors and refurbish them via paint brushes. At the first glimpse, it might be deceiving that this door is unlike any other around. Rest assured, this is one of a kind marvel. The transparent surface is made out of gorilla glass 9, which is supposedly stronger than any current iPhone screens, squeaky clean. The door is carefully primed and painted in 7-layers Flemish technique. The group signature quietly seats on the keyhole where the “BEST” would be. Look closely. The question the group raised in this piece is rather provocative: do you want the membership? |
Lick My Sweat
Marina Franco Performance in a high profile country club waiting room Franco choreographed this elaborate little dance. The performers enter the space periodically and move in a set of motion that was inspired by working out. Franco puts the viewer in the spectator position. “I just don’t get the whole idea about football. The people who need to exercise the most watch the people who need to rest the most exercise,” Franco says, “I want to call attention to the nature of the football, take that, society.” The question Franco raised in this piece is rather provocative: do you want the membership? |