Do Ho Suh Outline and Bibliography
Do
Ho Suh Presentation Outline
·
Biography
o
Born
in Seoul, Korea in 1962
o
BFA
(Bachelor’s in Fine Arts) and MFA (Master’s in Fine Arts) in painting at Seoul
National University
o
Joined
South Korean military
o
Came
to the US to continue his studies at RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) and
Yale University
o
Moved
away from painting to sculpting
o
Sculptures
are known to defy notions of scale and space-specificity
o
Focus
on the way viewers occupy and inhabit public space
o
Questions
his identity as well as the identity of the individual in today’s society
·
“Metal
Jacket” 1992
o
Had
to take a non-major elective studio course to complete his BFA at RSID
o
The
only class left was a sculpting course “The Figure in Contemporary Art”
o
The
assignment was to use a form of clothing to address the issue of identity
o
LA
riots related to Korean-American community issues happening at around the same
time allowed Suh to think about his identity as a Korean in the US
o
Also
wanted to address his experience serving in the Korean military
o
“Metal
Jacket” was a US military jacket liner covered with 3,000 military dog tags
o
His
first sculpture
o
After
taking this class, Suh abandoned painting to become a sculptor
·
“Some/One”
2001
o
Extension
of “Metal Jacket”
o
Military
dog tags start from the floor and connect to a hollow figure in the middle
o
Within
the figure are many panels of mirrors
o
Allow
the viewer to be part of the piece
o
Brief
summary of Suh’s experience in the Korean military
o
The
dog tags symbolize individual identity
o
Also
express how the men in the military don’t act for themselves but act as a unit
·
“Seoul
Home/LA Home” 1999
o
After
Suh graduated from RSID, he lived in NYC for a year before he went to graduate
school
o
Wasn’t
able to sleep much because of the loud city noises, often thought back to
living in Korea
o
Wanted
to bring his old house to his apartment in NYC using muslin fabric
o
Tested
to see if it was possible and it was, however, he didn’t have enough time and
money to actually work on the project until 1999
o
He
chose muslin fabric because he wanted a lightweight material that was easy to
transport
o
Challenged
the idea of site-specificity because it was made in his NY apartment but he was
able to bring it to LA and install it in a totally different location
o
Interested
in the concept of “home”
o
He
believed home is not a place but a thing that you carry along with you
·
“Cause
& Effect” 2007
o
Large
sculpture made up of thousands of tiny humanoid figures
o
Spiral
down from the ceiling to the floor like a tornado
o
Start
off spread apart at the top with light colors (white & yellow)
o
As
the spiral winds down, it becomes more denser and the colors intensify (red
& orange)
o
Expresses
existence not as individuals but as a whole
o
How
our identity as human beings come from our ability to band together and act as
a society for the good of everyone and not just the individual
·
“Rubbing/Loving”
2011-2014
o
Final
piece in his NY apartment that was Suh’s home and studio for 18 years
o
Covered
the entire surface with white paper and rubbed it with colored pencil tp
preserve every miniscule crack and crevice
o
Wanted
to take his home with him after he moves out
o
Every
little detail brought up by rubbing triggers a specific memory
o
Expresses
how an occupation of space can bring out emotions and memories associated with
it but doesn’t necessarily have to be tied down to that specific site
o
Home
is a feeling we all carry with us, and not just a house or an apartment
Bibliography
“Seoul
Home/LA Home” 1999, https://art21.org/read/do-ho-suh-seoul-home-la-home-korea-and-displacement/
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