Artist Research Paperwork

Mrs. C-Harvey

Date 1/7/17
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AP studio art

Artists Full Name: Choi Xooang

Date of Birth/Death: n/a
Place of Birth/Death: South Korea
Primary type of artwork (example: painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking,
ceramics etc. )
Sculpture

Media (What materials were predominately in this artists work?)

Polymer clay and oil on resin

Style or art period most associated with the artists

Hyper-realism, surrealism

Please list in complete sentences personal/interesting information on the

artist. Include education, influences, experiences etc.
Choi Xooang has been working as an artist for 13 years, and has
exhibited nationally, including France, South Korea, and China. He
got his MFA and BFA in Sculpture at Seoul Nation University. His
sculptures revolve around his concern for the state of human
society, specifically social minorities, and tend to have an existential
undertone. His work deals with body and soul, and is a distortion of
reality for the purpose of expressing a specific phenomenon.
Xooang says that its important to raise questions in art rather than
deliver a direct message, and that when his sculpture make people
uncomfortable that means theyre working. He plans to continue to
explore new subjects and problems that will be reflected in his
upcoming exhibitions.

http://www.juxtapoz.com/news/sculpture/a-look-inside-ken-price-s-a-surveyof-scultpures-and-drawings/
http://www.widewalls.ch/artist/xooang-choi/
https://www.yatzer.com/choi-xooang-yatzerized
http://www.doosangallery.com/artists/works_eng.asp?
idx=119&workIdx=810&subPageNum=2
Critiques

Islets of Aspergers Type VII, 2008, oil on resin, 122x122x79cm

Description: This sculpture is of three human-like figures, standing in a triangle
formation and leaning towards one another in the center. They each have one foot
toward the center of the formation, and lack arms. The figures are naked, with
lumpy, pasty white skin that ends in pink toes and knees. They have soft fat folds
around their middle sections and appear to have small, pointed breasts. They have
no eyes or noses, but possess large, opened mouths and one large ear. Their
mouths are pink and shiny, with white teeth. The way that they are leaning and
have their mouths agape suggests the body language of intently listening.

Analysis: The body language of the forms creates a triangular composition for the
sculpture. The line that is created in the craning of the figures necks and the
repetition of their facial features and expressions gives the piece an overall cyclical
movement. The contrast between the pastel white skin and the bright pink of the
lips adds emphasis to their mouths and the negative space between their faces. The
positioning of their legs balances out the activity at the top of the piece, adding
interest to the bottom portion. The lack of arms moves the viewers eye from the
legs directly up to the faces.
Interpretation: Based on this piece and Choi Xooang, I think that the concept
behind this sculpture is in regards to how connected people are today. Whenever
something important or tragic goes on, it is quickly spread from person to person,
where it is talked about and over-examined. An example of this is the city of Aleppo.
Battles took place in which civilians were specifically targeted, and there were many
instances of people on social media spreading the story of Aleppo and saying Why
arent we as a people doing anything about this? I think through this piece, Choi
Xooang is saying that we can talk and listen about lots of issues (the cycle of the
ears and lips), and that conversation is essentially a cycle, but we dont/are unable
to do anything about those issues (the lack of arms).
Judgment: I think this piece has lasting importance, partly because it is so
haunting and partly because its very relevant in todays society. His style of surreal,
minimal figures is unsettling and hard to look away from. The physical cycle of
speaking and listening that is present in the piece despite the figures being unable
to actually speak is what gives the sculpture its movement. Sometimes its
frustrating, being unable to act on the immense amount of information that the
Internet and other technologies provide us with. Choi Xooang captures that cycle
perfectly, and I think that as the globe continues to get more and more connected,
and new tragedies are brought to light every day, this piece will be growingly
applicable.

Isometric Female, 2013, Oil on Resin - 38w x 38w x 89h cm

Description: This piece is a sculpture of a woman and a man that are connected at
the head. The man is standing directly behind the woman, and both figures are
naked, while the man has paler, pastier looking skin than the woman. Both figures
are skinny, but the man looks slightly emaciated. The womans face is Asian, with a
blank facial expression and long, dark hair that is pulled up into a bun. The top of
the mans head disappears into the hair of the woman, so only the woman figure

has an actual head and face. Her right hand holds his, while his left hand is gently
grabbing her left hip. She stands up straight, while his knees are bent and he leans
slightly into the place where his head disappears.
Analysis: The similarity between the forms allows the viewer to contrast them sideby-side. The warm tones of the womans skin, the fact that she has a face, and her
upright posture contrasts the male figure and makes him seem eerie. The joining of
their hands creates movement up and across the piece and gives the appearance
that she is holding back her male counterpart instead of embracing him. The texture
of her hair almost allows the viewer to see where the mans head could be hidden,
but not quite, adding emphasis to where his neck meets the back of her head.
Interpretation: I think that this piece is about the influence of one person over
another. Isometric means having multiple dimensions, so based on the title and
the joining of the mans neck to the back of her head, I would say that the man is a
part of the woman. Whether he represents an abuser, a mental illness, the memory
of a lost one, or just the part of someone that she keeps with her, his sickly
appearance and lack of head leads me to believe that he is not his own person. He
has a grip on her, both literally in the piece and psychologically, and she holds him
back from having too much of an influence on her. She isnt in control of him,
however, because he has his own body.
Judgment: I think that the psychologically powerful concept of this piece and the
striking hyper realistic style give it lasting importance. For anyone who has had
experience with an abuser or a mental illness, they may feel that their mind is not
always their own. Our experiences and the people around us shape who we are, and
that means that sometimes there are parts of us that we dont have total control
over. Choi Xooangs depiction of having to hold that piece of oneself back is
haunting, and his ability to make the sculpture so realistic means that it is hard to
forget and puts a psychological concept into physical terms.

Other works

Islets of Aspergers Type IV, 2009, oil on resin, 37x58x46cm

The-Akward-Age-(Boy), 2007, Oil on Resin, 25x24x80cm

The Wings, 2009, oil on resin, 78.7x17.7x30 in

The Cultivation, 2007, mixed media, 180x30x99cm

Matured Material, 2016, oil on resin mixed with neon pigments, 15.7x17.7x47.6 in