As is the case in many of Deng’s arworks, Gung Ho Go taps into body language to tell a story, punctuated by exaggerated hues. Originally drawn in colored pencil, the print’s chunky swaths of blues, greens and grays inflected by peachy pink and pastel yellow portray the fluctuating palette and undulating surface of the ocean with a wash of playfulness and go-with-the-flow placidity. The airborne surfer spotlighted over the crest of a wave is positioned in such a way that they appear both alertly present in the moment, and totally free. Facing the foaming edge, their hand and feet are flexed, but their posture seems loose and pliant. A zip of yellow emphasizes the energy of the moment. Riding a wave means accepting what you can’t control, taking a spill in stride, the falling figure seems to suggest. Deng says her surfing art draws from her own experience learning the sport, feeling small and insignificant in a way that’s really liberating. That certainly comes across here, meanwhile the two onlookers at lower-right with their heads turned toward the surfer at center convey the unspoken sense of community you might feel floating in a pack. And if you’ve ever tried to surf yourself, you know wiping out comes with the territory. All of which is to say: going beyond the strictly representative, Gung Ho Go dials up the emotion and ambiance for a super relatable surfing scene ... More on the blog!
