With Pleasure Vision, JooYoung has effectively constructed a mode of communication unlike any we've ever experienced. What is recognizable still feels indigenous to an alternate universe in which abandonment, hope, death, rebirth, and entertainment are central features of an intricate institutionalized mythology. A public access feed broadcasting vaguely evangelical inspirational quotes (several from familiar sources) is punctuated with hand-animated interludes that play out a narrative involving a lost young girl - a deified milk carton child who is drawn to a place called the Cosmic Womb. Bits of VHS-glitched TV footage flutter about throughout. Tom Jones sings in reverse, revealing a sad, almost harrowing quality to an otherwise pert voice, and Judy Garland's already mournful "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is somehow even more moving when playing over a flurry of Pleasure Vision. Rather than being overwhelmed with not knowing how to feel, both of us were bowled over with a deep sense of connection to the work. Maybe it's because nothing here feels insincere or ironic; every moment and every choice feels profoundly earnest. For all its strangeness, there's something comforting about Pleasure Vision. JooYoung has struck a rare balance here, having created something that feels carefully crafted, but is also loose and surprising enough to feel found, like it's been there all along.
-Ed.
Pleasure Vision, 2014
Dr. Angelou [s.1.v.1], 2014, acrylic, paper, canvas. 8 x 10 in.
Dr. Angelou [s.1.v.1], 2014, acrylic, paper, canvas. 8 x 10 in.
Dr. Angelou [s.1.v.1], 2014, acrylic, paper, canvas. 8 x 10 in.
Dr. Angelou [s.1.v.1], 2014, acrylic, paper, canvas. 8 x 10 in.
Dr. Angelou [s.1.v.1], 2014, acrylic, paper, canvas. 8 x 10 in.
Isn’t a Crow Bar. [S.1.V.1], 2014, acrylic, paper, canvas. 8 x 10 in.
Horse Track Wager [S.1.V.1], 2014, acrylic, paper, canvas. 8 x 10 in.
Horse Track Wager [S.1.V.1], 2014, acrylic, paper, canvas. 8 x 10 in.
You Will Find the Sun [S.1.V.1], 2014, acrylic, paper, canvas. 8 x 10 in.
Black is Beautiful, Smile. [S.1.V.1], 2014, acrylic, paper, canvas. 8 x 10 in.
Spirit of Love Surround You [S.1.V.1], 2014, acrylic, paper, canvas. 8 x 10 in.
Spirit of Love Surround You [S.1.V.1], 2014, acrylic, paper, canvas. 8 x 10 in.
JooYoung Choi is a narrative artist who lives in Houston, Texas. Choi creates work based on a highly structured imaginary world called "The Cosmic Womb” using painting, video, animation and puppetry. The narrative of this imaginary world is used as a tool to investigate a variety of themes such as: representation as affirmation, racism and systemic oppression, personal/political identity, and memory.