Reconnecting with humanity: JinMan Jo forges life's conflicts into works of art

JinMan Jo is preoccupied with humanity's alienation, its diminishing ability to interact and communicate and "its constant pursuit of economic expansion." He addresses his societal concerns through sculpture that is personal, participatory and profound.

Jo's art may be seen and experienced at Art Access, 230 S. 500 West, through Wednesday.

"This is amazing," said Ruth Lubbers, executive director of Art Access. "I've been waiting for this show all year. Just the idea of having pure sculpture in the front gallery and nothing on the walls ... it's dramatic."

It is. The space encourages communion; wandering through this steel, stone and wood landscape offers opportunity to stop and consider the meaning of each form, its texture, patina and size.

Born in 1972, in Seosan, Korea, Jo received his undergraduate degree in environmental sculpture in 1999 at the University of Seoul. In 2003, he received his MFA in sculpture from the University of Iowa. Today, Jo is an assistant professor of sculpture at Utah State University.

When displaying his work, the artist invites others to make their own interpretations.

"I encourage the observers of my works," Jo said, "to relate their own experience to the ideas I examine as I portray my interpretation of the conflicts that we as humans experience in our lives."

After considering the monolithic "Self-Consciousness IV" and "The More, the Better," you feel as if you chanced upon two tortured, towering statements of self-imposed isolation. The welded nails of the first piece and the welded steel wires of the second seem to support this conclusion. However, when considered together with Jo's philosophy, they become even more meaningful.

"In my sculpture," he said, "each welding spot connects one piece of metal to another and represents this idea of interconnectedness and communication, and honors the value of each individual within the whole."

Jo has commented that his work — when considered in the grand scheme of all things — is only a little thing and limited to "the framework of shape — the circle, the rectangle, the square, etc."

"Self-Consciousness 112306," employing the rectangle motif, and "Self-Consciousness 101006," the circle, express lack of completeness: one is missing a substantial geometric chunk, the other can't seem to meet and join. According to Jo, this is intentional; it illustrates humanity's broken communication, its inability to connect.