Conjunction 04-13 2004

Ha Chong-Hyun made this, ‘Conjunction 04-13’, at an unknown date using oil on canvas, and it's a trip. The grey backdrop peeks through a blizzard of white impasto. It's not just about what you see, but how the paint's been pushed, pulled, and coaxed across the surface. Up close, each stroke seems to have a life of its own, a sort of independent little mark. The texture is so physical; you can practically feel the give and take of the brush, loaded with thick paint. The white is opaque, yet the grey is visible beneath, suggesting a history, a kind of layering of time and thought. I like to think about the action that created that one rogue stroke, the one on the lower left, jutting out at a funny angle. How does that one mark effect the dynamic of the whole? This piece reminds me a bit of Antoni Tàpies, or maybe even a really restrained Guston, but stripped down to its bare bones. It's like Ha is having a conversation with them, a silent dialogue across decades. It's art that embraces the process, the ambiguity, the sheer joy of making a mark and letting it speak.