Seo Jo in her studio Seo Jo’s breathtaking black and white photographs of the natural landscape underscore the intrinsic, unbreakable link between man and nature. Against a light gray backdrop, jagged leafless tree branches create an air of mystery, while unforgiving craggy rocks soar upward to evoke the sublime. But amid such awe-inspiring beauty, man imparts his delicate presence.
Intentionally marring the purity of the wilderness with the hand of man, Jo’s photographs are a constant reminder that despite our efforts, the human lifecycle runs concurrently with that of nature. As all are born of it and exist within it, so too shall all return once more. Jo often incorporates a self-portrait into the dramatic and stark landscapes she photographs. However, since the human figures remain blurry and indistinguishable, they also function as a representative of mankind as a whole. Rendered in dramatically shaded grayscale, the landscape takes on a stark, somber feeling, lending a weighty balance to the wispy shapes made by man. In doing so, Jo eloquently points out the relative impermanence of human life in comparison to that of nature.
In this way, Jo’s photographs are elevated from the realm of the documentarian or aesthetic to that of the didactic, uplifting and inspiring. By illustrating not only man’s fragility but nature’s sublime power, Jo silently yet effectively conveys her message: that no matter how one tries to break free, man and nature are in the end one entity.

Born in Korea, Seo Jo relocated to the United States to continue her formal artistic training. Following a severe injury, Jo experienced a revolutionary shift in her art making pursuits. Once driven by a self-gratifying impulse, Jo now creates her work for more universal appreciation.
Seo Jo lives and works in New Jersey and has exhibited widely along the East Coast and in Korea.

www.Agora-Gallery.com/ArtistPage/Seo_Jo.aspx