a visual dialogue

Mackai Sharp & Jeong Hur both deal with investigating the self and their personal struggles and in A Visual Dialogue they turned their lives outward to share with each other and found new unexpected ways of making work.

peaks & valleys

Feb. 10, 2022
Mackai
I spent some time reading and sitting with your work. I wanted to firstly say how much I identify with your process of introspection and sense of self when approaching your art and I thought I'd introduce myself and say hello with a thought that has been bouncing around my brain.

I am at the end of a very intense period of my life, just about to move out from home, just graduated from school, on that cusp of adulthood, burnt a lot of bridges and lost some important relationships - and I've been sitting in this space of existential reflection these past months, considering moments and decisions that brought me to the ground I currently stand on. A lot of it is turbulent, emotionally tense and difficult. But I thought it could be cool to learn more about each other and reflect on moments through this last "era" of each other's respective lives as the basis of our collaboration. Maybe focusing on specific emotions that define memories. For me, there have been several moments and locations that have left a significant imprint that I find myself revisiting to find solace and peace. It may highlight an interesting contrast between images that could combine for something relevant and all encompassing.

Feb. 10, 2022
Jeong
The text is beautiful!

Glad we can do this visual dialogue. And I love your thoughts. I, also at the beginning of my 30s, have changed so many things. I graduated at the beginning of the Pandemic, got fired two times and am struggling with US visa stuff as an international (student). Some of the issues have been solved but some are still going on. And I continuously dream and look for peace. We maybe can do a journey (or dialogue) about how we find and fulfill ourselves through our lens. By capturing something surrounding us in each other’s locations and sharing the insights, I believe we can get something from this!

Feb. 15, 2022
Mackai
I am glad we are on the same wavelength! If you are down with this - I believe I have a photo concept to start with.

Feb. 15, 2022
Jeong
It is a very interesting image. At first, I could see one person and two silhouettes, and so many tags. Some tags are repeated. One clear person in the photo who has red eyes and "chill" vibes (maybe party, outdoors in the winter) makes me guess what's going on in this image. Maybe a lot of names, and silhouettes which are very friendly interacting with the person in the photo made me feel nostalgic and sad. Seems the person is imagining somebody who doesn't exist near you at the point. And I think the reason why this person is imagining it is because this guy can't meet them anymore for whatever reason. But also because of his face, it doesn't seem like a bad reason. Haha

Well, this is my response to your image. It started from my first impression of your image, mostly sadness from my recent loss. I am very curious how you will read my image and create the next image.
 I can't wait to see how this will go haha. I am already excited.

Feb. 17, 2022
Mackai
Your image is so cool!

I feel vulnerability in the subject, with the streaks of light decorating the frame. I gather feelings of tension from the expression, allowing us to see only one of their eyes, as if even though they are completely exposed, there is still a piece they refuse to share with you. I see the light as pieces of a dream or nostalgia, that are illuminating the otherwise void space in the subjects’ mind. To describe the overall emotion I feel from this image, it would be an uncertainty of comfortability, literally and metaphorically.

Feb. 17, 2022
Jeong
Another interesting image! I love the overall tone and contrast from all objects in this image. Firstly, the still image with the broken frame is literally a still and moving skateboard. Second, similar in color to frame and skateboard. Third, blue colors from the print and graffiti. And last, a natural object (maybe branches) and a concrete-made skateboard park.

This obvious contrast but weirdly harmonized image attracts my attention, and leaves some questions for me. Who breaks the frame? If the skater broke the frame, what's the reason and why did the skater leave? Why did the photographer choose the sad graffiti face below the skateboard? Many things are going on and many questions are left which means it made me think about the relationship.

This conversation is progressing interestingly. I'm purely enjoying it haha.

Feb. 19, 2022
Mackai
When I look at your image, I see the separation between the physical and the essence of what is inside. I interpret the expressions of vibrant colors as dimensions of someone's personality, maybe yours. With the silhouette personifying and enclosing that vibrancy. With the hands and face representing the less saturated, more material version of that same personality. I think of daydreaming and deep sentimental recollection when I look at this photo.

Feb. 21, 2022
Jeong
I like the word "Daydreaming" you put on my work. Thanks for posting that haha.

Feb. 21, 2022
Jeong
The image I received made me kinda confused at first. But slowly, I could get what's going on here. "Wrong, Wrong and Wrong." The imperfectly printed texts came very first to me. I think clear text on the image naturally makes people read the text before reading the image. And it means the text can be the first impression of an image. Just a quick simple question to you. What does using clear text on image mean to you? I always feel worried about putting some text on my image, including store signs, street ads or sometimes even number plates. Because sometimes, random text dominates my image and only text remains in my mind, not the image itself.

Back to your image, behind the text, there is a clear portrait, almost like a mug shot. And above the person's face has been washed out by the flash. The only hint I can get about the person is a tattoo on the face. I don't know very much about tattoos, but I guess the pattern seems like Maori people's tattoo style. A person with hidden eyes, tribal tattoo, the negative text, the print put into the industrial situation and the orange color chip on the top right. All hints bring me an idea about identity but this person's identity issue is in crisis. Maybe this person's identity kept being denied by something. However, this person is trying to keep his identity, even if it is not going well, like the photo print attached by tape on the concrete wall which means it cannot last for a long time.

I'm not sure about the orange on the top right. But it is pretty interesting for me. Since I get the idea about identity, I can guess what the orange block is. But I want to hear more about this image from you. May I ask you to talk about this one?

Feb. 25, 2022
Mackai
After receiving your third image, I really wanted to sit with it and reflect as I was really struck by your photo and I resonated very much with the message I interpreted. It makes me feel my own bruises, the tension in my chest. This pose of bare vulnerability tells its own story - to me you've created the visual representation of trauma and its evil imprint that marks a person throughout their life. Extremely powerful photo, I can feel myself in it. If you had to describe the emotion in your image, what word would stand out to you?
I definitely see what you mean about how text can overwhelm an image or leave people with the wrong idea. A lot of my ideas START from a sentence or a word that carries a weight that I want to get across. If someone walks away from my image just with the word "wrong" sitting in their minds then I've gotten the feeling across. The orange chip is just a reference to an album of music that has been there for me during this time of my life.

Feb. 27, 2022
Jeong
"Perseverance" - this is the dominant feeling I can get from my third image. People are easily attracted to the human body. That's because we all have a similar figure and experience. Sometimes directly showing the human figure is too cliché. And because my images contain a lot of human figures, I am always being careful to use the body in my image. Creating images in between clichés and a fresh approach is always a big issue for me and I keep experimenting between these two. Sometimes using clichés as they are makes a powerful image, just as your response about my third image. Thanks for your text!

 It's always interesting to know how others start their work. The starting point of my work is meditation and hallucination. Recreating images from hallucinations which lack clarity onto my photo surface is what I am doing.

Feb. 27, 2022
Jeong
When I see your image for the first time, I didn't realize it was half-tone. Just thought it was a bit of a blurred image (I know this is an issue looking at other's images on the screen). Is there any reason you used halftone for your fourth image?

So many bottles and cans are in the bathtub. The guy with a bruise, and wound on the face is in the tub covered by drinks. What happened to this guy? haha. In this image, I especially love the guy's gesture and his facial expression. He is like a little rascal, always making some trouble. And I can feel what he is saying in the tub; "What happened? anything wrong? I didn't do it."

It’s a very intimate situation and the guy makes me feel like I am hanging out with my friend at a crazy party. I want to know more stories about this guy in the photo! Very interesting and curious

March, 3, 2022
Mackai
Taking the word "Perseverance" in a different direction, I would say it also describes my fourth image as well. I think the intention behind the halftone was to take the edge off, visually and literally. I really identify with the aesthetics of 90s/2000s teen/street magazines and the nostalgic textures of halftones make my scene feel less morbid and more slapstick. Being around people who had such a normalized relationship with substance abuse made it easier for myself to justify bad habits and it is only in retrospect when I can see how dangerous that truly was. Getting space and looking objectively to the past has helped me register how I've persevered through some heavy curve balls I hadn't anticipated. 

Looking at your fourth photo; I see dimensions of self. I feel both restlessness & comfortability. The objects placed throughout the frame to me represent your closest items. Even getting a little meta with one figure taking an image of another. I see this as you workshopping ideas in your head, all the facets and pieces of yourself coming together.


It reminds me of times I've attempted taking self portraits and how FRUSTRATING it is to get them how I want them. What is that process like for you, having yourself play a consistent figure in your work? Is this controlled? Do you have another person assisting you?

March 6, 2022
Jeong

Yes, that's the major feeling about my fourth piece. But also I wanted to make some uncomfortable tension between image and audience by putting one figure looking at the camera on the bottom left. And small humor by adding a "V" hand sign on the bottom right.

My process is more like acting. Set the scene, give a situation and major feeling, and I start to play in front of my lenses. I tried to take a photo with somebody assisting before but I think I am not ready to show my acting to the public yet haha. But, I always dream to expand my work as an installation and performance piece.

March 6, 2022
Jeong
Your fifth image, full of thumbnails of portraits, reminds me of a lot of things, like Instagram feed, iPhone album, Google image search, and all other Internet-related things. I guess these are all related to personal memory. The distortion makes the size difference but these size and perspective changes make me feel interested. The big smiley face on the top right grabs my attention. And my eyes naturally go down left and go down right at the end. This zig-zag flow makes a dynamic rhythm for me. And this rhythm of faces makes me think about my memories. Also, somehow it makes me start to identify myself through my memories.

I'm kind of curious about the space where you projected. (If it is an image made by beam projection) I want to see more relation between the space and multiple faces. This means I want to know more hints about this boy, the camera, and the space.

And... this is my fifth image! Only one image left. I'm really curious how we will end this dialogue. I look forward to your last image!

March 7, 2022
Mackai
My brain picks up a face when I look at your fifth image. Though I cannot quite understand the expression, that may be intentional. This reminds me of when I used to volunteer with this art teacher at college in my town, and I showed her my sketching style which she said was reminiscent of the French technique "Faux Naïf" which is French for "False Naive." What I am getting at is to me it seems you've left the expression intentionally non-descript or in my case I would make messy, wobbly lines as opposed to straight ones to emulate naivety or create a more unique/textured illustration opposed to something more flat which leaves more things for the viewer to interpret. In your image, I almost think of a mask, or maybe even a revised version of yourself using components of your body.

In regards to my 5th image - I am glad it gets you asking questions. The boy is me, through different episodes & situations of this last segment of my life.

Speaking of that, we originally talked about visualizing this last segment of our respective lives, and I thought I couldn't finish better than where it started, at the beginning (of it all..).

March 18, 2022
Jeong
I love that expression "Faux Naïf" (False Naive.) Maybe that is the one I am pursuing with my image making. And your assumption was close, the mask or revised version of myself. The understanding of this fifth image is better with the title of the image "Healing patch," which is a function in photoshop. I felt the relation between the healing tool's function and the healed image except the original image is interesting. I am still figuring out why I felt interested in this relationship. And also the image made from this very unclear idea weirdly made me think of some connection with your fifth image.

March 18, 2022
Jeong
I love your last image. Contrast of color, luminosity, and the movement, everything is lovely and naturally attractive. I'm guessing it's a little campfire. In Korea, there is a word, called "불멍" (Bull-Meong) which means spacing out while staring at the campfire. Yes, this image made me spaced out and also made me very emo. The "burning human" figure doesn't look dangerous, it almost looks like a fairy.

I can imagine the scene of a fairy tale, kids are having a campfire. They are having marshmallows and singing and reading books. And suddenly that fairy of fire came and hung out together. And the full moon is shining a light on them. Nostalgia and optimism. These two feelings overwhelmed me.

March 18, 2022
Mackai
Your final image is a very interesting juxtaposition of objects that to me signify feelings of change. Like a very well, smoothly assembled collage, there are many different elements and textures that are contributing to this sensation of change, from the pose of the figure between two frames to the presence of a watch. I feel both sadness and warmth, maybe the figure is deciding which side it was to go to. It makes me feel very existential, I can visualize the crossroads of my life in my mind.

I am grateful for what you have said about my final image, your interpretation hits me in the right place. That expression, 불멍; and the emotions you felt (nostalgia and optimism) are both sensations I wanted people to take away, as this was the exact feeling I had when I took this image. Mind you within the context of this series, though this is my final image, this is really the beginning to the last segment of my life. So as you can imagine, this was a meaningful & bright peak before an isolating, ruthless and cold valley.

So that is that. Thank you for having this dialogue with me - it was very nice getting to know you through this process. & I look forward to staying connected if I ever find myself in New York or vice versa you in Canada.

Following the collaboration we asked Mackai and Jeong about the experience.

Describe the collaborative process with a total stranger.
Mackai: First & foremost, I saw this opportunity as a great excuse to make a new friend. Not often have I encountered a chance where I see someone producing cool work and then immediately start working with them.
The interesting thing I didn’t consider when approaching this project was the fear of stepping on the other artist’s toes. “Have I not allowed room for them to expand?” It was cool to navigate the boundaries of someone you’ve never met, especially when confronting heavy subject matter in your work. I think we had to just set aside the fact we were on opposite sides of the continent from each other and just have an incredibly normal conversation. Once we had established a rhythm, it made getting to know Jeong, and collaborating alongside his work really enjoyable.
Jeong: Our conversation started with understanding each other's stage in their lives. In our brief conversation before we started collaborating in earnest, we knew we were going through similar times. And we conducted this collaboration by sharing what we are feeling in our lives through photographic media.
This collaboration was processed by sharing each other's images, explaining the feelings, asking questions, and sharing the responses to the images. In this process of our collaboration, we did not disclose the title of each image, which helped us to interpret and respond freely to the image.

How did the visual dialog affect your work?
Mackai: For someone like Jeong, who most commonly features himself as a subject in his image - it made me comfortable turning the camera towards myself and reflecting on what's been bouncing around in my head.
When receiving an image from another artist, it can overwhelm me. It gets me wondering if I can create an image of equal standards. So I spent more time than I usually would refining the picture in my head before actually producing it. Which, funnily enough, I never end up using the image I envision when I go into a shoot - it’s through the energy and improvisation of working in your physical environment that can make you find something even more profound, that hits right on the nose, than what your brain had even conceptualized.
Jeong: Collaborating with Mackai has been a constant source of inspiration for me. The style of his images I haven't experienced in a while, and conversations with him sometimes makes me feel like I'm back in school. Looking at fresh images, I think it was an opportunity to look at and produce photographic media from various directions and perspectives again. And in this short collaboration, I tried to create as many different (or "New" for me) things as possible.

How will it affect the way you work, or think about making work in the future?
Mackai: The hardest part about creating anything, from music, to photography, to whatever, is just actually following through with what you have in your head. I’ve benefited from this process, as it has only encouraged me more to disregard the mental barrier that can freeze people from making art, or anything at all. I am going to attempt to hop on ideas and produce them immediately as opposed to brushing them off for down the road - because there is no negative outcome to experimentation.
Jeong: As I answered above, this collaboration has helped me get started worry-free about trying different things again. I think it's important for creators to consistently share their work and ideas with others. After graduating from school, I couldn't do it for a while for various reasons. This collaboration brought back thoughts I had forgotten. I think the time has come to share the thoughts that were circling in me now.

mackai sharp @mackaisharp
jeong hur @jeong.h.something

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