Introduction
The work I enjoyed the most at the exhibition was “Rose Bowl Loop.” Paige Jiyoung Moon created it in 2023. The artist was born in Seoul and currently resides in Pasadena, working as a painter and illustrator. She studied at the Art Center College of Design and is currently producing artwork presented at Steven Zevitas Gallery in Los Angeles. Her work is also present in other art galleries around the city.
Main Body
The artwork is considered one of the best paintings presented at the show due to its intensity and content, which are tightly packaged into the frame. The image is barely larger than a computer screen and has been meticulously painted with tiny brushes, making the detailing of people and objects immaculate. Rose Bowl Loop depicts a real place in Pasadena and reflects on the beauty of the chosen hiking path, the distant mountains, and the people that inhabit the park now. What caught my attention was the grim presence of COVID-19. It is palpable in the picture – most people wear masks and keep their distance from one another, creating a feeling of isolation and solitude while invoking understanding from the viewer.
The artist uses clever composition to direct the audience’s attention. The figures occupy a narrow band near the bottom of the image, mirroring ancient Roman columns and temples. Thus, what is presented to the viewers initially seems like an incomplete idea, forcing them to look down and study each detail to understand the entirety of the artwork. These individuals are separated from the rest of the world by a fence – a metaphor that even though they are outside, barriers erected for protection still exist. Beyond the chain-linked wall is life, portrayed through mountains, golf courses, trees, and far-off residential areas nestled between green hills with a beautiful blue sky above them. The contrast here is purposeful, as it gives the fence both a reassuring and a confining quality.
Paige Jiyoung Moon creates the image from an elevated vantage point. The audience can see the park, the people, or the mountains and the presence of the planet’s curvature. This is done with two purposes in mind – the first is to give a relatively small painting enough scope to serve as an allegory for the larger world in the grips of the ongoing endemic. The second reason is to create a fish-eye view of the scenery and a sense of detachment from the entire scene. At the same time, the fine detailing of the people and small elements draws the eye and forces the viewer to investigate the picture and familiarize oneself with every element. This generates a sense of familiarity and intimacy in whoever decides to purvey the artwork.
Conclusion
Thus, to summarize, the work by Paige Jiyoung Moon explores the subject of isolation, with themes of detachment, loneliness, and barriers erected by COVID-19 between people being prevalent. Some methods used include artificial expansion and control of the audience’s view, while the meticulous details bring them back down to Earth to investigate every possible element. Despite being a painting made on a regular canvas with tiny brushes, it is frozen in time, with significance best understood now. It may be a message from a lonelier, scarier time for future generations.