Stripped away from any kind of wooden support frame/ stretcher, the fabric itself becomes a place for a symbiotic kind of pure intuition. Every moment, every trace, whether prolonged or exhausted is in and of itself unique. Even the mindful negation of a defined background is executed with the utmost respect not only for the composition but also, and perhaps most importantly, for the sanctity of the unrepeatable nature of every moment. What predominates Heeyoung Rosa Jo’s background is either the untouched raw canvas, with it’s every fold and perfect imperfections or a loose network of bright white strokes, coming together to form a base layer for what might appear atop. Hereby, the surrounding negative space is equally as important as the overarching composition and, by virtue of a lack of action, an integral part of every work presented. Gentle but decisive marks slowly forming an amalgamation of bodies (or body parts) are completed with little to no prior sketching, so that the dynamic energy and singularity of each stroke might not be preceded by too calculated of an outcome.
Never truly facing us, every suggested figure seems to not only be evading the picture frame altogether but relinquishing themselves to an interplay between actively hiding and passively appearing while underlined with a particular kind of wit and sensualness indicative of the artist’s oeuvre. Just like the contrapposto between figuration and abstraction, every gesture, every attempt at movement is charged with a variety of connotations regarding the emotional makeup of not only the composition but the artist themselves, so that any given painting might be, to some degree, a subtle extension of a deeply personal way of being. Each painting and it’s inherent phenomenology never fully reveals itself, demanding the viewer to look again, look further, as to, perhaps, find a piece of themselves within each line, each brushstroke, perennially fleeting yet never unsure.
Written by Daniel Gianfranceschi.
Instagram: @heeyoungrosajo