DOOSAN Gallery New York is pleased to present Jeongsu Woo’s
solo exhibition, 《Tit for Tat》, from March 5
to April 11, 2020. Woo, who participated in 《Doosan Art
LAB 2017》, was selected for our Spring 2020 DOOSAN
Residency New York. During his six-month stay in New York, he is given the
opportunity to have his solo exhibition, Tit for Tat. Featuring the main
work, ‘Tit for Tat’ series (2019), along with the artist’s previous
works and new works, this exhibition will explore Woo’s various approaches to
his work.
Woo reorganizes the images that he encountered in our daily lives
onto a canvas. These visual references implicate economic inequalities as a
result of capitalism and instill a retro style to his work. They reflect
anxiety and compulsion of the future from the present generation. “Tit for tat”
is a strategy used in economics that is composed of four manners: being nice,
retaliatory, forgiving, and clear.1) Such strategy puts the simple rules
together to guide on how to deal with relationship with different interests in
this complex society. The two men, wearing their suits while battling against
each other, are originally found in the illustration of a martial arts book and
becomes the main subjects of the ‘Tit for Tat’ series. The figures in
the work create strong tension as if they are strictly following the rules.
While the tension, conflict, and dynamic movements between the two are
repeated, it is this ironical cycle and subversion—the assailant becomes the
victim or vice versa, that reflects our society.
Woo’s works in 2019 show distinctive methods of painting and
artistic expressions that differ from his previous works. He experiments with
images and patterns on the canvas and expands his visual languages. These
motifs are repeatedly deployed, covered, and re-emerged by the brush strokes.
Throughout the process of overlap and erasure, each motif rendered on canvas
becomes a complete work and creates their own visual language. Compared to the
works created in 2019 where the images were layered in various ways, the new
works present each subject of the image liberating by itself while revealing
the space surrounding it.
In addition, the exhibition presents ‘Sailing’ series
(2017) that show different styles from the former ones. Woo used panel and
absorbent ground in this series instead of paper that he has consistently used
for drawing. The artist experiments with its materiality and expands the
boundary of artistic expression through the ink immersing into the paper. This
exhibition investigates Woo’s art practice and approach by presenting his body
of work ranging from 2010 to 2019 along with his recent works created
in 2020.
1) Tit for tat strategy can be successful based on the following
actions: If the opponent makes a cooperative move, then you begin cooperating.
On the other hand, if they defect, then you retaliate. If they then try to
cooperate, then you forgive and return to cooperate. Throughout this process,
both people act clearly.
