Staghorn Chandelier

'Gendering Rorschach' is an on-going series of floral subjects, such as staghorn ferns, peonies, in richly hued gouache paint. The format of the image, mirrored along an invisible central line, is reminiscent of the inkblot test named after its creator, Swiss psychologist Hermann Rorschach.

The mirror effect provides a sense of equality, balance, and suggests the Chinese philosophy of yin and yang, where contrary forces are actually complementary. It reflects Jimmy Ong’s continual investigation into gender equality, duality and interchangeability.

Unlike the Rorschach tests however, the orientation of the paintings have been decided with not just the title and artist’s signature, but some of the works also have the Chinese words 左 (left) and 右 (right), rendered to look like a Chinese seal. It is not only a playful gesture on the artist’s part but also hints at the connection of these works with traditional Chinese ink painting, where a painter’s abilities to both control and give freedom of the brush is highly revered. Similarly, Ong lays bare the process of mark making, no effort has been made to obscure or erase accidental blotches and stains.

Stylistically, 'Gendering Rorschach' can be traced to the 'Gerry Gender' set of gouache paintings on paper in the same Rorschach inkblot format. The paintings were shown in 2012 at his solo exhibition 'Elo Progo' in New York. The exhibition title refers to the Elo and Progo Rivers, located in the Kedu Plain, near Borobudur, Jogjakarta, the world’s largest Buddhist temple and which is still considered one of the most sacred Buddhist sites. Ong was fascinated by the traditional Javanese practice of meditation in water and the rituals related to ablution and transformative properties of water. The use of gouache lends fluidity and spontaneity to this set of paintings.