Stewart Uoo's 'Viva la Juicy' Exhibition Marks Transition to Subtler Degradation with Paper-Pulp Works

Stewart Uoo's 2015 exhibition 'Viva la Juicy' represents a departure from his earlier visceral sculptures toward more delicate, paper-based creations. The New York-based artist abandoned the grotesque mannequins of his 2012 series 'Life is Juicy' and his 2013 Whitney Museum exhibition 'No Sex, No City'. Instead, he created works from deteriorated shopping bags left exposed on his Brooklyn roof or studio floor, transformed into thick paper-pulp bases embedded with organic debris. These surfaces incorporate tattered Juicy Couture bags and Hollister packaging fragments, where model couples kiss repeatedly on disintegrating scraps. Flies, cockroaches, and pigeon feathers are skillfully embedded in the bright-white and matt-black paper, creating an unexpected contrast to the grim glamour of luxury branding. The exhibition also includes glossy magazine-style portraits by fashion photographer James Giles, featuring hairstylist and performer Bailey Stiles, whose Louis Vuitton logo tattoos reference David LaChapelle's 1999 portrait of Lil' Kim. These images celebrate transgender and gender-fluid beauty, contrasting with Hollywood's artificial glamour. Uoo's work navigates the line between edgy transgressive art and parody, with the paper objects displaying a moving ruined elegance that suggests future artistic potential. The article was originally published in October 2015.