June Lake George Reflection*

Abstract

June Lake George Reflection* Se Jong Cho (bio) Click for larger view View full resolution Acrylic on canvas 30 x 20 inches Courtesy of the artist 2022 The paintings in the Blood Clock 2020 series are my response to Pipilotti Rist's Blutdip (1993) and its display of—in the words of Calvin Tomkins "copious flows of menstrual blood," for which she was seen by some to have "[taken] feminism too far." What does it mean to take feminism too far? This criticism of Rist's work presented an interesting challenge to me. My response was to—in Rist's own words—"get the blood out into the open" with this body of work—the cover shows the days of my menstruation in June 2020—and my intentions are to challenge the culturally mandated boundaries, such as menstrual taboo and gender essentialism, that constrain our imaginations as well as our livelihoods. —Se Jong Cho Read Se Jong Cho's full artist's statement, "Blood Clock 2020; Challenging Culturally Mandated Acts of Feminine Discretion," on p. 107, followed by a folio of paintings from the series. [End Page 2] Se Jong Cho Born in Seoul, se jong cho makes art to explore the extents of her imagination and broaden the creative domain. She began painting while pursuing her PhD in environmental engineering at Johns Hopkins University. Her training as a scientist taught her to become observant and think critically, and she cultivated her brand of creative expression that combines multidisciplinary perspectives. Copyright © 2023 Se Jong Cho