A dual exhibition of works by New York-based artist Jesse Zuo and Los Angeles-based artist Sarah Cotton. The title of the show is based on the term for the adjustable resistance of knobs on a microscope. In referencing the delicate balance between concentration and strain, both artists can be seen as similarly navigating viewers’ focus as they control the the amount of detail revealed or emphasized when it comes to their subjects’ physique and emotional life. Neither Zuo or Cotton leave their subjects overexposed, rather, their interest lies in interrogating the ways female bodies are perceived—identified, desired, gazed upon—from the outside as well as on their own terms.

“Focus Tension” is on display at Plato Gallery starting today and runs until January 3, 2026.