Museum of Contemporary Art / Denver
Denver, CO
303-298-7554
http://www.mocadenver.com
Critical Mass at MOCA/Denver
I want to spend the rest of my life everywhere, with
everyone, one on one, always, forever, now.
Damien Hurst
At some point in everyone's life, we all come to a place where the
impact of critical decisions become acute and must be acted upon. Weighty
issues such as of personal growth linked with the perpetual complexity of
interpersonal relationships dwelling in theorem of change are brought to
the forefront and confronted. For many artists, this type of introspection
coupled with constant self-examination is a common occurrence. In part,
the ongoing challenge of 
being an artist is the continual process of evaluation,
in order to fully understand what to create, how to create it, what it means
and who is the audience. (left: Albert Chong, Winged Evocations,
1998, detail of figure for installation; right: Albert Chong, Winged
Evocations, 1998)
"Critical
Mass" was conceived as a forum to discuss cultural identity that is
based not on ethnic origin or popular labels but on individual cultural
experiences and how that manifests itself in the making of art. The artists
selected have become forerunners not because of multi-culturalism but because
of their assertiveness to express their individuality. (left: Hung
Liu, Red River, 1998, oil on canvas, 80 x 80 inches)
"Critical Mass" presents painters Hung Liu and
Jaune Quick To-See Smith, who offer meaningful visual references about their
cultural backgrounds. 
Each artist has a unique ability to make cross-cultural
connections as mediators and bridge builders. On further investigation,
the work transcends its ethnic signature 
and addresses current issues of values and experiences
from their inherited past. Included are Albert Chong and Jaeha Yoo, both
Colorado based artists, whose spiritually evocative works infuse images
that record political, personal, and cultural statements. Chong's installation
evokes a magical essence that possesses an intriguing allure of materials
and imagery. Yoo also assimilates materials by combining physical textures,
representational images with a visual simplicity that culminates in an abstraction
of thoughts and emotions. (left: Hung Liu, Kings Sky-Queens Land,
oil on canvas, 80 x 140 inches; right: Hung Liu, Nativity, 1999,
oil on canvas, 80 x 110 inches)
The intent of "Critical Mass" is to initiate
a chain reaction by fusing 
sociological, philosophical and artistic energy consequently
triggering a snowball effect into uncontrollable explosion of visual dialogue.
Density and beauty are m
erged into a unique blend of installation-based work
and more traditional formats. "Critical Mass" is not reliant on
sensationalism, angst or manipulation but offers viewers an insight into
each artist's personal vision and life experiences. By dispensing with cultural
and ethnic labels and focusing on individuals, we have the opportunity to
engage in a discourse that also addresses artistic contributions to society,
which furthers the continual process of defining our own identities. (left:
Jaune Quick To-See Smith, McFlag, 1996, diptych, acrylic, mixed media
on canvas, 60 x 100 inches; right: Jaune Quick To-See Smith, Cowboys
and Indians, 1995, diptych, acrylic, mixed media on canvas, 80 x 72
inches)
Read more about the Museum of Contemporary
Art/Denver in Resource Library Magazine
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This page was originally published in Resource
Library Magazine. Please see Resource Library's Overview section for
more information. rev. 2/28/11
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reserved.
At some point in everyone's life, we all come to a place where the
impact of critical decisions become acute and must be acted upon. Weighty
issues such as of personal growth linked with the perpetual complexity of
interpersonal relationships dwelling in theorem of change are brought to
the forefront and confronted. For many artists, this type of introspection
coupled with constant self-examination is a common occurrence. In part,
the ongoing challenge of 
being an artist is the continual process of evaluation,
in order to fully understand what to create, how to create it, what it means
and who is the audience. (left: Albert Chong, Winged Evocations,
1998, detail of figure for installation; right: Albert Chong, Winged
Evocations, 1998)
