JungSook Seo: Effloresce
Galerie Pici Seoul
“Moments of darkness appear and disappear; the sky, mountains, and clouds...Even though it will vanish soon, it will continue to flow without completely fading, and another world will emerge.”
- JeongSook Seo
JeongSook Seo examines liminal spaces in her Effloresce series using ominous environments consisting of dark trees and misty skies. She references the effect of effloresce, seen in chemistry, as the powdery white surface of her canvas blurs the scene. This process also causes a burst-like reaction as if a flower were blooming into the world. As Seo tries to investigate the transitional phases of life, she uses this process to illustrate the stage in between past and present.
Seo looks to a world beyond what we can see and embraces the flowing changes in nature, beginnings and endings, from one existence to another. She paints the sky, mountains, and clouds fading into one another to present her emerging worlds.
JeongSook Seo received her BFA from Incheon Catholic University, Incheon, Korea and is currently studying for her MFA at Honglk University, Seoul, Korea.
Effloresce
verb
1.
(of a substance) lose moisture and turn to a fine powder on exposure to air.
2.
reach an optimum stage of development; blossom.
Trees: Her large-scale settings are made up of tall trees creating a mysterious tone. The fading scene moves from sky, to clouds, to trees, and back again, conquering the canvas’ surface.
Light / Dark: Covering the entire canvas are dark sections that meet peaks of light in the foggy sky. She emphasizes the vast landscape as both light and dark to show opposing sides of existence.
Effloresce: Like a blossoming flower, this process also results in a powdery texture. Seo captures the transformation that occurs between states of being by obscuring her environments and engulfing the viewer into a mystifying experience.
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