American based artist Jae Ko created massive installations from recycled paper that has been tightly rolled and stacked against a gallery wall. The resulting works are nuanced and delicate despite their extreme scale.
The organic, intuitive design of each of Ko's installations build upon themselves, with each layer affecting the shape of the next. The viewer can follow the compression of each paper roll, with the weight of the upper structure pressing heavily and tightening the thin inner swirls. The rolls hanging precariously on the top of each installation are allowed to uncurl freely with no structural constraints, revealing the many lines within. The paper rings bring to mind the rings in a tree truck, signifying a passage of time and the process of creation. While trees appear sturdy and enduring, Ko's ephemeral installations teeter on the edge of collapse, allowing their weight to hang ominously over the viewer. The paper often spills off the wall and onto the gallery floor, hinting at the cascading floor of paper that threatens to overflow.
Each site specific work brings awe, apprehension, and somehow, a simultaneous calm created by their puzzle-like structural perfection. We would love to see these installations in person to fully experience the full depth of emotion they deliver.
