Mimi Jung's work examines multiple dimensions of self-preservation, particularly as it relates to private and public self-representation, and the ways in which those depictions are manifest through social and cultural mores. Her constructed and woven forms, with their voids and translucencies, are fixed but never static; the viewer actively controls the experience of transit around and through them—reflecting inward on their own behaviors. In the end, Jung’s limning of space is reflexive, visible to those who are predisposed to see it.
Jung received a BFA from Cooper Union and attended HGK Basel and Städelschule for postgraduate studies. She has mounted exhibitions throughout the United States including Chamber gallery, Nina Johnson gallery, and Carvalho Park gallery. Her work has also been exhibited in Les Gens Heureux in Copenhagen, Collectible in Brussels, Somerset House in London and the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne. She lives and works in Los Angeles.
Jung’s solo exhibition, The Subsuming Ellipse, opens at Carvalho Park, New York on October 24th.
For more information, please see: http://www.mimijung.com and on Instagram @bymimijung.
Mimi Jung, 072819 PERIWINKLE AND BLUE LIVE EDGE FORM, 2019. Natural fibers, aluminum sheet and aluminum frame. 48” x 68” x 2”. Image courtesy of the artist.
First and most importantly how are you doing? How are you navigating the highs and lows?
I've been working on an upcoming solo show and book release with Carvalho Park Gallery, which has dramatically narrowed my capacity to get lost in the news cycle throughout the day. However, now that my workload has somewhat lightened, the news flood gates have opened again, and I'm finding brand-new lows. I gave myself an extra week to answer this question, hoping that my answers would be more uplifting, no such luck.
I wake up and go to bed, horrified by the normalization of injustices. I'm constantly worried about my students in foster care who are navigating life during a pandemic with dwindling social services. The sky is an apocalyptic orange, and the air feels thick and smokey. The upside is that I have love, and I'm healthy. Play these two contrasting perspectives every five minutes on a loop, and that's pretty much it.
Mimi Jung, FOUR TEAL WALLS, 2015. Natural fibers and powder coated steel. 78” x 20” x 35.75”, 78” x 40” x 70”, 78” x 20” x 10”, 78’ x 40” x 64”. Image courtesy of the artist.
It's my experience that most artists engage with some level of self-isolation in their day to day art practice. Has this been your experience? And if so, have you found these innate rhythms to be helpful during this larger, world-wide experience of isolation?
Self-isolation has always carried a level of familiarity and comfort in both my personal and work life. Silence is my preferred state while working. Therefore self-isolation has not been particularly challenging for me. However, this much of it without any interruption is new. I live with my husband, so it wouldn't be fair to say I'm alone. The only noticeable change has been in the last few months; I found myself initiating frequent lengthy phone conversations with good friends to balance the quietness.
Mimi Jung, JADE AND MINT ELLIPSE DIPTYCH, 2020. Natural fibers, aluminum sheets and aluminum frames. 30” x 76 x 2”. Image courtesy of the artist.
It would be great if you could briefly talk us through your practice. Understanding it is integral to appreciating the multivalence of your work.
I'm a Los Angeles based artist whose practice centers on handwoven tapestry and sculpture. My work examines multiple dimensions of self-preservation particularly as it relates to private and public self-representation and the ways in which those depictions are manifested through social and cultural mores. It is an interest distilled from my biography, from experiences of isolation, both situational and self-imposed.
In my work through the spectrum of varied thread densities, I examine the way in which people silently, subconsciously create and negotiate spaces between themselves. At one extreme, I employ opacity, a shield, to finally openness – exposure in void. Viewers control their experience of transit through and around this spectrum, reflecting on their own behaviors. My limning of space is reflexive, visible to those who are predisposed to see it.
Beyond the sculptural branch of my work, I explore the traditional notion of geometric confines in weaving, attempting to push, exploit, and ultimately transcend them. In all my work, I continuously consider the role of optics and tactile experience, even in the pictorial abstractions.
Mimi Jung, BLACK INTERIOR, 2015. Natural fibers and steel. 78” tall, 60” diameter. Image courtesy of the artist.
Mimi Jung, PALE BLUE ELLIPSE, 2019. Natural fibers, aluminum sheet and aluminum frame. 60” x 44” x 2”. Image courtesy of the artist.
Has any of your imagery shifted in a reflection to what's currently happening? And why, or why not?
My upcoming show focuses on a short period in 2017. While working and honing these imageries, I was alone in the studio yet felt crowded by the memories. I believe the prolonged absence of social intimacy allowed for this examination to finally take place.
Mimi Jung, BLACK ALUMINUM CAST EDGES, 2019. Powder coated aluminum cast. 41” x 50” x 50”. Image courtesy of the artist.
What is bringing you solace, or even joy, in this moment?
In April, my monthly art program for teens in foster care, Happy Trails Art Start, went from taking place in my studio to completely virtual. There was an extensive learning curve going virtual and another massive restructuring when we realized the rest of the classes in 2020 would remain online.
Pre-pandemic, I saw my students once a month for six hours at a time, and communication between our physical classes was relatively sparse. By going online, we were able to add more sessions with smaller groups, which allowed for more individualized attention. More time dedicated to each student results in more customized programming, frequent check-ins, and, best of all, time to create stronger bonds. Growing this program for my students continues to bring genuine joy to my life.
Mimi Jung, ORANGE-RED CAST WALLS, 2017. Powder coated aluminum cast. 34” x 17.5” x 17.5”. Image courtesy of the artist.
Mimi Jung, DUAL PINK RECTANGLES, 2019. Natural fibers, plywood and aluminum frame. 48” x 68” x 2”. Image courtesy of the artist.
Are you reading anything?
I've never been an avid reader of fiction. Give me an autobiography any day, but fiction always gets bumped down my reading list. However, in my search for an inspiring novel to read with my students, I came across the following gems.
I would highly recommend reading them in this order; Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng, The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coats, Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid, and American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins.
Recently PET, written by Akwaeke Emezi, was generously gifted to my students by the cover artist Shyama Golden. PET is a young-adult book that every child and parent should read together. We loved it.
To get my non-fiction fix, I'm currently reading Racial Melancholia Racial Dissociation: On the Social and Psychic Lives of Asian Americans by David L. Eng Shinhee Han and Moi, with a giant lump in my throat the entire time. And the next book on my list is Minor Feelings with Cathy Park Hong.
The artist with her installation works, FOUR TEAL WALLS, 2015. Image courtesy of the artist.