David Choe

Rarely do I come across an artist who I decide, almost the instant I peruse his or her work, will be one of my favorites. Favorite is an important concept, underrated often, not because it is different from respect, but because it implies respect with something extra - like the difference between necessary and sufficient in science, perhaps.

David Choe is one of those artists. His work, well, it is amazing, frankly. Subtle and emotional, a mixture of delicately applied pigments, masterfully utilized composition and design, an amalgamation of expressionism and East Asian tradition with primitivism (or at least the non-Western and/or non-Modern artists who inspired Western primitivism). I find myself repeatedly comparing Choe to the man whose work I consider the pinnacle of expressionism - the great, the masterful, the utterly astounding Egon Schiele.

Choe is different though - his work has not only been transfigured by pop art, but furthermore by conceptual and neo-expressionist work - for instance his work utilizes non-traditional pigments, including bodily fluids, a development which seems to be a by-product of a stint in a Japanese prison.

As for samples of Mr. Choe's work, well, we can turn to a number of valid sources. First and foremost, of course is his home page, a well-designed, easily navigable site with a substantial collection of works of every conceivable material, subject matter, and scale. Also, check out a sample of the works he produced in prison with found materials. . . really astounding fine art made with found materials, the epitome of beauty. GuerrillaOne also has some samples of Choe's paintings.

A warning, though, to those with kids or conservative bosses or co-workers. Mr. Choe, like many expressionists and neo-expressionists, frequently portrays sexual themes, often in extremely sensual (that is to say "expressive") ways which often border on the pornographic - again, like Mr. Schiele. This isn't meant to be taken as either vindictiveness or criticism: it isn't. But his work might be taken as NSFW: not safe for work. Or whippersnappers. Trust me - I intend to own one of his works as soon as I have a paycheck that can afford a sample of his work.

In conclusion, I just want to note the Biblical verse Mr. Choe references, Revelation 22:21:

The grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Coming from Mr. Choe, that's deep stuff - of course, it was always intended to be, wasn't it?