Loc Huynh Bait n’ Tackle

April 2022

Fishing is a ritual that is often taught and handed down through generations. Bait N’ Tackle is an exploration of that generational exchange and the significance this activity played in Loc’s upbringing. This exhibition centers around the triadic relationship between Loc’s maternal grandfather (his Ông Ngoại), various species of fish, and himself. Whether it be through cultural symbolism or serving as the necessity of food, the importance that fish have in Vietnamese culture is something that his grandfather carried with him when he immigrated to America. Through fishing, Loc was able to bridge the language gap he had with his grandfather, and share a common activity where the goal was apparent, in an almost primal way. Although mostly biographical, Loc uses the exaggeration of colors, expression and form to create narrative driven paintings. What he is doing with these paintings is not that dissimilar with the tradition of anglers telling “fish stories”, and embellishing certain events to provide a more fantastical quality.