Paper Work
Works by Jennifer Seo
April 4 – June 1
Opening Reception / Meet the Artist: Friday, April 4 / 5-8pm
Jennifer Seo makes paper recreations of objects to better understand what we find important and why. Objects go from being simply a thing we interact with as utility, to a thing that embodies a philosophy and culture. Seo’s current body of work focuses on objects found in old family photographs.
Looking through the photos, Seo picks out common objects that family members in the scene would have interacted with most. Her making process is intentionally repetitive and careful. This meticulous labor elevates the handmade objects through the time and care spent producing them. While making these objects, Seo considers the lost moments, making space for quiet reflection.
Through the act of creating these objects, she reconstructs lost artifacts. It is a study of her family she always felt disconnected from, but that she cherishes. Through making these everyday objects, Seo hopes to celebrate the minutia and monotony taken for granted. As Seo makes the work, she projects herself into experiences she was not always present for. She gleans information from what is visible in the photographs to augment her limited knowledge of her family members and her theories of their past time. Speculating about the rituals of daily life by recreating lost objects recorded around her family is an exercise for locating her Korean-American perspective.
