I saw the current exhibit at the University Union Gallery titled Call Your Corners, a couple of weeks ago. Ryan Seng is a clearly talented painter. However, the presentation and content of the work leaves little to be desired. According to Seng's artist statement, the show is a representation of his life explorations in art and running a "high quality cocktails in a can" company. The artistic idea behind his company is to create exposure for Sacramento artists by placing images of their work on Seng's cocktail cans, but so far, it's just his work being featured.
Sausage oil on canvas, 2016
About eighty percent of what is immediately noticed around the gallery are large paintings of barely-clothed, slim, white women. Every gallery tag not only featured the name, medium, and date of the piece, but also a small story. Seng puts himself in trouble with some of these stories. For his Sausage painting, he brings up his decision to mostly paint women. "A lot of people ask me why I paint women all of the time. I tell them that is just what happens." To be blunt, I think that's a stupid reason. I don't believe it "just happens." These paintings serve as just another representation of the conventionally-attractive woman done through the male gaze. It's boring.
Photo by Brett Melliar
I didn't see this show, Mustafa, but your comments about Seng's explanation of his intentions are interesting. If you hadn't read his texts would you have felt differently about the paintings?
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