Interconnections
Host / Curator: Kirsten Bontrager
Artist: Chung Truong
Kirsten Bontrager curated Chung Truong into her three story townhouse primarily because his work appealed so strongly to her aesthetic sensibilities. Chung’s interest in “art that can also touch an individual and not just the masses” piqued Kirsten’s intellectual interest in the situation of the work to be created within the rental she shares with two other roommates.
Chung’s ideas changed dramatically after his first meeting with Kirsten. The artist took note of special moments in his host’s life, including the significant role of Mexican folklórico dancing in her formative years. She described growing up in a predominantly Latino neighborhood in Phoenix and being mesmerized by the dancers’ vivid twirling skirts. In the fourth grade, her mother made her a folklórico costume. In college she studied folklórico dance. Impressed with her natural talent, her professor invited Kirsten’s to participate in the closing ceremony for the National Rodeo Competition in Las Vegas.
Taking images and impressions like these back to his studio, Chung began a series of studies evoking these descriptions. Once these sketches make the transition into a finished form, Kirsten will select a few that resonate most deeply with her and, together with Chung, install them in manner that reflects the personal narrative contained within the works.