When we last checked with Julia Chiang in May for our Art in Uncertain Times series, the Brooklyn-based artist was, like many of us, juggling homeschool and activities for her family, along with pursuing a studio practice. The intimate, personal works made during this period pieces are now on view at The Modern Institute in Glasgow, forming the core of her second solo exhibition with the gallery, titled Holding my breath moving closer closer.
Back to being a full-time artist after taking a few years off for maternity leave, the lockdown was a catalyst for Chiang to start experimenting with one of her favorite techniques, which she referenced in our conversation. "While we've been home I do small watercolors, sometimes with the girls and sometimes at night, or during an odd break in the day. Everything is so out of control with so many unknowns, that setting that time aside and having something to look at afterward feels a bit like having one less lost screw," Chiang says. With this in mind, the selection of forty 9 x 6inch watercolors on paper, framed inside a blue shadow box, are samples of her visual language, as well as documents of her life in the recent months. Identified by the date they were made, each chronicles and encapsulates her emotions, while exploring new concepts and interactions between signature forms. "Some days I barely made one and others I made a few," the artist posted recently on her Instagram, "Each with the voices and movements of the girls swirling around me. A very special and challenging time for sure and thankful for so much."
With the repetition of pointed ellipses as the main structural elements of the work, Chiang's recent pieces experiment with the interplay of elements as well as the dynamic and atmosphere of the repeated pattern. Mixing watercolor transparency with a delicate touch, the compositions gush effusively and energetically, though betrayed by a fragility upon closer examination. Intricate marks and details display mood or feelings, while stronger shapes reflect the impact of outside elements, the works seem like emotional diagrams. Petal formations push onto the paper surface, forming a shower of fireworks or foams of rain clouds.
As elements discovered through such exploration find their way to the bigger, acrylic on wood panel pieces, the rigidity of the surface and solidity of acrylics register a more resolute and directed statement than the smaller works on paper. While the lead elements still possess a translucency, the intense, flat-colour backgrounds and organic shapes create life’s push and pull. With fewer conflicted patterns than the watercolor pieces, these works seem to mark the pivotal moments of finding a balance in the midst of a historic shift of social interaction norms. —Sasha Bogojev
This exhibition coincides with "Excitation", an extended reality (XR) exhibition by Victoria Morton on the Vortic Collect app, available on the app exclusively and for viewing in person until the 31st October 2020.
Photo credit caption: Julia Chiang, Installation view, Holding my breath moving closer closer, The Modern Institute, Osborne Street, Glasgow, 2020 / Courtesy of the Artist and The Modern Institute/Toby Webster Ltd, Glasgow unless otherwise specified.
