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Lot Essay
"He has thought a lot about philosophy, about Buddhist ideas of karma, and the ways in which we are all inter-connected. He has made a lot of works, figurative works, that deal very much with these ideas. And he poses us questions – where does the individual end? Where does one person end, and the next begin?"- Sarah Suzuki, Curator of the Museum of Modern Art, New York.
STAYING TRUE TO ONESELF AMIDST CHAOS – DO HO SUH
As a stranger in the big city, Do Ho Suh often constructs familiar surroundings that bring peace to his inner self. He is stimulated by old furniture from his childhood home in Korea. Every corner of his workshop in Chelsea New York is filled with creative inspiration. And the environment surrounding his dwelling is the interface through which the inner sanctum of the resident can be reached. Do Ho Suh was born in Seoul, South Korea in 1963. His father was a renowned traditional painter, so he grew up in an environment that was filled with art. However, he was determined to step out of his father’s shadow. As such, Do Ho Suh moved to the United States in hopes that the completely unfamiliar environment would give him the freedom to invent his own artistic style.
The sincerity conveyed in his art works as well as his unique artistic approach have made him one of the most well-known Korean contemporary artists in the international art world in recent years. The Whitney Museum, the Guggenheim Museum, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, and numerous other respected institutions have acquired his work to add to their collections. In 2001, he represented South Korea in the 49th Venice Biennale, and he was selected by Wall Street Journal as Innovator of the Year in Art in 2013. Three editions of Cause and Effect (Lot 55) were produced. One edition currently resides in the permanent collection of the Mori Art Museum in Japan, while the present lot comes to this sale directly from the personal collection of Guy and Myriam Ullens, renowned collectors of Asian contemporary art.
FROM "NATION" TO "HOME", EXPANDING TO "SELF"
From issues of cultural identity and interpersonal relationships, to questions about destiny, Do Ho Suh’s treatments of these subjects have always been well received. The current lot represents an important milestone in his artistic career. As early as 1992, the artist started using thousands of military identification tags to construct the enormous work Metal Jacket as away to investigate the concept of self in the context of nationhood. Subsequent works such as Perfect Home(2002) and Staircase (2003) are fabric installations that elaborate on the self in the context of the family.
In Cause and Effect , the artist further investigates into the concept of self. The work is comprised of strings of small acrylic figures arranged on top of each other, hung in the manner of a dazzling chandelier. The way that the artist has configured this work makes it look like only one figure can safely land. The metaphor of this work seems to point to the fact that our destiny is a complicated network of interdependent relationships that spans across time and space. Even if one can safely land, his or her success is still dependent on the behaviors, achievements, and other causes that came from previous generations. According to the artist’s model of the construction of self, each one of us considers ourselves to be the sole person who is situated at the eye of the storm, and the self is formed by various memories, experiences, relationships with people and social environment in the past sitting on each individual’s shoulders. This work is reminiscent of Felix Gonzalez-Torres’ light bulb sculptures, as both artists draw from everyday objects and experiences in order to create artworks that preserve the beauty of memories.
ILLUSIONS CREATED BY MEDIA EXPERIMENTATIONS
In terms of choice of media, Do Ho Suh is adept in utilising innovative materials to transform there presentation of certain objects so that he can reveal alternative meanings residing within them. He once used fabric to represent a wall that was originally made of concrete. His new work involves using coloured threads in place of paint to create an illusion that challenges viewers’ visual experience. Cause and Effect looks like a chandelier at first glance, but it is actually made of tiny translucent figures. They all display stalwart poses as if the lone figure at the bottom is carrying the thousands of other figures above. The artist’s use of multiple colours serves to inject the joyous feelings into the piece, hinting that one should remain optimistic when dealing with the weight of everyday life. This is reminiscent of Claes Oldenburg’s work in which he presents familiar objects with different materials. From a distance, it looks like a gigantic hamburger. Upon close inspection, it is apparent that it is made of canvas and plastic.
CAUSE AND EFFECT, KARMIC CYCLES
Both the subject matter and the title of this piece are closely associated with the Buddhist belief that actions from past life, this life, and subsequent incarnations in the future are all tied together by Karma. This Buddhist principle is all encompassing - it applies to a speck of dust as much as it affects the entire universe - all are linked in the web of Karma. For every cause, there is an effect.
Cause and Effect demonstrates an enormous and interdependent collective. The way the figures sit upon the shoulders of each other suggests strength in unity. In this work, Do Ho Suh explores the tension between the collective and the individual within the structure of social classes, and he attempts to resolve the boundaries between the two as well as to reveal how the two can possibly coexist. "The common misunderstanding,” he says, “is that my work is a confrontation, a clash of cultures. It’s not really about that. It’s more about interdependency and the way things coexist. That’s what I’m interested in, how to survive, how to blend in. It is an ongoing process.” He had transcended autobiographical narration with this work. What he is asserting is a true universality amongst humankind.
Cause and Effect is a philosophical work that demonstrates Do Ho Suh’s rigorous pursuit for dialectics. On one hands, this work expands on the artist’s early discussions on the concepts of home and nation. On the other hand, it also shows his courage in exploring new directions in his artistic development. Such vitality found in this work originates from the artist’s personal experience, and this energy continues to be modified through the negotiations between the individual and the collective. Eventually, this colossal network of relationships will evolve towards a state of perpetual betterment.
STAYING TRUE TO ONESELF AMIDST CHAOS – DO HO SUH
As a stranger in the big city, Do Ho Suh often constructs familiar surroundings that bring peace to his inner self. He is stimulated by old furniture from his childhood home in Korea. Every corner of his workshop in Chelsea New York is filled with creative inspiration. And the environment surrounding his dwelling is the interface through which the inner sanctum of the resident can be reached. Do Ho Suh was born in Seoul, South Korea in 1963. His father was a renowned traditional painter, so he grew up in an environment that was filled with art. However, he was determined to step out of his father’s shadow. As such, Do Ho Suh moved to the United States in hopes that the completely unfamiliar environment would give him the freedom to invent his own artistic style.
The sincerity conveyed in his art works as well as his unique artistic approach have made him one of the most well-known Korean contemporary artists in the international art world in recent years. The Whitney Museum, the Guggenheim Museum, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, and numerous other respected institutions have acquired his work to add to their collections. In 2001, he represented South Korea in the 49th Venice Biennale, and he was selected by Wall Street Journal as Innovator of the Year in Art in 2013. Three editions of Cause and Effect (Lot 55) were produced. One edition currently resides in the permanent collection of the Mori Art Museum in Japan, while the present lot comes to this sale directly from the personal collection of Guy and Myriam Ullens, renowned collectors of Asian contemporary art.
FROM "NATION" TO "HOME", EXPANDING TO "SELF"
From issues of cultural identity and interpersonal relationships, to questions about destiny, Do Ho Suh’s treatments of these subjects have always been well received. The current lot represents an important milestone in his artistic career. As early as 1992, the artist started using thousands of military identification tags to construct the enormous work Metal Jacket as away to investigate the concept of self in the context of nationhood. Subsequent works such as Perfect Home(2002) and Staircase (2003) are fabric installations that elaborate on the self in the context of the family.
In Cause and Effect , the artist further investigates into the concept of self. The work is comprised of strings of small acrylic figures arranged on top of each other, hung in the manner of a dazzling chandelier. The way that the artist has configured this work makes it look like only one figure can safely land. The metaphor of this work seems to point to the fact that our destiny is a complicated network of interdependent relationships that spans across time and space. Even if one can safely land, his or her success is still dependent on the behaviors, achievements, and other causes that came from previous generations. According to the artist’s model of the construction of self, each one of us considers ourselves to be the sole person who is situated at the eye of the storm, and the self is formed by various memories, experiences, relationships with people and social environment in the past sitting on each individual’s shoulders. This work is reminiscent of Felix Gonzalez-Torres’ light bulb sculptures, as both artists draw from everyday objects and experiences in order to create artworks that preserve the beauty of memories.
ILLUSIONS CREATED BY MEDIA EXPERIMENTATIONS
In terms of choice of media, Do Ho Suh is adept in utilising innovative materials to transform there presentation of certain objects so that he can reveal alternative meanings residing within them. He once used fabric to represent a wall that was originally made of concrete. His new work involves using coloured threads in place of paint to create an illusion that challenges viewers’ visual experience. Cause and Effect looks like a chandelier at first glance, but it is actually made of tiny translucent figures. They all display stalwart poses as if the lone figure at the bottom is carrying the thousands of other figures above. The artist’s use of multiple colours serves to inject the joyous feelings into the piece, hinting that one should remain optimistic when dealing with the weight of everyday life. This is reminiscent of Claes Oldenburg’s work in which he presents familiar objects with different materials. From a distance, it looks like a gigantic hamburger. Upon close inspection, it is apparent that it is made of canvas and plastic.
CAUSE AND EFFECT, KARMIC CYCLES
Both the subject matter and the title of this piece are closely associated with the Buddhist belief that actions from past life, this life, and subsequent incarnations in the future are all tied together by Karma. This Buddhist principle is all encompassing - it applies to a speck of dust as much as it affects the entire universe - all are linked in the web of Karma. For every cause, there is an effect.
Cause and Effect demonstrates an enormous and interdependent collective. The way the figures sit upon the shoulders of each other suggests strength in unity. In this work, Do Ho Suh explores the tension between the collective and the individual within the structure of social classes, and he attempts to resolve the boundaries between the two as well as to reveal how the two can possibly coexist. "The common misunderstanding,” he says, “is that my work is a confrontation, a clash of cultures. It’s not really about that. It’s more about interdependency and the way things coexist. That’s what I’m interested in, how to survive, how to blend in. It is an ongoing process.” He had transcended autobiographical narration with this work. What he is asserting is a true universality amongst humankind.
Cause and Effect is a philosophical work that demonstrates Do Ho Suh’s rigorous pursuit for dialectics. On one hands, this work expands on the artist’s early discussions on the concepts of home and nation. On the other hand, it also shows his courage in exploring new directions in his artistic development. Such vitality found in this work originates from the artist’s personal experience, and this energy continues to be modified through the negotiations between the individual and the collective. Eventually, this colossal network of relationships will evolve towards a state of perpetual betterment.