Uman by Hosang Park

Howon by Hosang Park

Good Thursday to you, collectors! It's Sara today, with a reprise of editions from 2008 Second Edition Hot Shot and JBG artist, Hosang Park. Jen first introduced you to Howon and Uman back in March, just before Hosang was named an Ultra and slated for a solo show. And now, Hosang's United States debut solo exhibition, A Square, is currently on view at the gallery. The show opened a few short weeks ago and will be closing in just a couple more, on Saturday, November 7th, so if you haven't seen it yet, hurry in!

If you're not a New Yorker, I'll forgive you for not dropping by the gallery but I'd urge you even more to take a closer peek at Hosang's prints—the detail in them is spectacular! One of the greatest hurdles we face at 20x200 is making sure that the artwork translates as well on screen as it does in print. We do our very best but really, it's hard. You're in luck with these editions though; Jeffrey Teuton, the associate director of the gallery, put together a Flickr set of details of all the photographs that are currently on view in A Square for your close-viewing pleasure.

Jeffrey, who is wearing a bow-tie today and feeling jazzy (the rest of the JBP crew is wearing coats inside and feeling cold; the heat is off on this forty-degree day and the super is, ironically, out sick) graciously chimed in with a few words about the prints:

There are so many intricacies and details to be discovered. In Uman, there are paths that have been created by those trying to move quickly and directly through the park. There is no evidence of time to follow the meandering paths; instead, the most straight and direct routes are carved into the ground creating a geometry all their own.

Denying the paved invitation to take a detour, the patrons of Uman have stubbornly refused to let contrived design interfere with their busy lives, much like the NYC citizens with offices around Federal Plaza rebelled against Richard Serra's Tilted Arc, ultimately ruling for its undoing. How we navigate public spaces, it turns out, is a very personal matter.

Sometimes, disuse of parks is the greatest evidence of our tastes and desires. Jeffrey continues on about Howon:

Howon seems to be one of the oldest of all the parks. The bright colors are starting to fade and small signs of neglect creep in. The cracked, uneven ball court, the build up of leaves and fading veneers reflect the forthcoming fates of each of the more polished and newly finished parks: unvisited and unattended.

There is certainly more to these photographs than meets the on-screen eye; we're just skimming the surface! Nicola Twilley went a little further with her examination, Park's Parks over on BLDGBLOG and there is also more about Hosang in this Q & A on the Hey, Hot Shot! blog.

What isn't revealed in that bite-sized interview is that Hosang shares our love for NYC and giant-sized hamburgers, particularly those served, where else, but in a park. If you're also a fan of public spaces, architecture and design, you can meet us at the gallery, next Tuesday, October 20th at 6:00 p.m. for the City Walks Architecture Tour with Alissa Walker. You'll be able to see Hosang's show, get your dose of architecture and indulge in one of our other favorite foods—gelato. Come one, come all!

And my last note: If you're a photographer looking for the best way to gain exposure, support and recognition for your work, then apply to Hey, Hot Shot! You can upload your photos from the comfort of your own home. Youngna gave you the deets yesterday; I just want to make sure you don't leave till tomorrow what you can do today! Time is running out. The competition closes next Friday, October 23rd at 8:00 p.m. EDT.