XOXO. Typically meaning kisses and hugs, although you may associate it with a certain TV series about privileged teens, tic-tac-toe, or, more obscurely, a type of seafood sauce. LA-based artist Ophelia Chong screens a bold, heavyset version of these letters in red, atop vintage photographs and illustrations, producing letterpress art with an alarming, propagandistic feel. From pictures of warplanes, guns, and women both cloaked and scantily clad, these pieces evoke a feeling of political and social controversy. And the red typography sends a strong message, reinforcing this sense of unease, even if the letters are normally used to express affection.
Words by L. Kimberly Leung
