When Picasso unveiled Demoiselles d’Avignon in 1907, it was criticized as an ugly work that would not be accepted by art history. Trailblazers in art history like Picasso are the ones who led the Avant Garde charge to define what fine art can be, even if the works themselves may be “ugly.” Sean Go, a NYC visual artist treads the line between works that look like they were created by a child in 3rdgrade, street graffiti art, and Picasso during his cubist phase painting portraits of Dora Maar. With his battalion of misfits and remixed characters, his world of art sucks you in like Alice entering Wonderland.
Go’s themes, under the scrappy brash strokes of his paintings, subvert what is to be expected from artists. Few people would call his works fine in a physical sense, as his works often show badly mixed paint and contain strokes that look rushed and abrupt. Yet, the appeal of Go’s works has spread across the USA, Europe, and Asia. With pieces like “Sariel (the Fallen Angel of Death)” and “Ricky the Dragon,” a magnetic pull bewitches the viewer – the work are so raw and primitive that they ooze seductive power. Sean Go’s work has been favorably reviewed and institutionally given a pat in the back, being managed by Derek Flores of DF Agency, who has had success in placing his artists in international exhibitions and museums.
Despite the tomfoolery of his work, artist Sean Go is no fool. One might think that the childish appeal of his works signals his experience as an individual, but his resume is anything but childish – with 7 degrees from Ivy League and top schools (including Columbia, UC Berkeley, Emory, and Fashion Institute of Technology), his wit and careless intelligence lives in his paintings, lurking in the striking color combinations that he often chooses.
“Ricky the Dragon.” 48 x 48 in. Acrylic, Leather, Spray Paint, and Grease Pencil on Canvas
“Space Tiger.” 48 x 48 in. Acrylic, Leather, Spray Paint, and Grease Pencil on Canvas
Go often ops to use incomplete lines, asymmetry, and lush metallic colors to infuse a discotech of lightning and panache into his works. In paintings like “The 3 Blind X Mice,” we can see his vector like approach in constructing diagonals, reminiscent of basic principles from his Master’s in Real Estate from Columbia’s School of Architecture. In other pieces like “Godzilla,” you see jumbled neon and fluorescent paints setting the stage for a medieval castle siege, which are an ode to his time at the Fashion School of Technology, where he graduated with a Master of Art.
When you view Go’s works, they goad you a little. They make you ask – “how is this even good?” The fact that this is often asked ironically makes his mission complete. They are either so good or so bad that they stick to your mind and make you ponder the meaning of fine art.
“Playmouse.” 18 x 18 in. Acrylic on Canvas
“Humpty the Iron Samurai (Blue and Red)” and Sith Lord Pikachu, 48 x 48 in. Acrylic on canvas
Artist Sean Go’s recent Solo Exhibition at Secret Fresh Gallery in Manila, by DF Agency