For Do Ho Suhthe process of creating work is just as important as the result. Individual sculptures and installations are all part of a larger project that allows the South Korean artist to return to and iterate on previous ideas, materials and structures, each time pushing the work in a different direction.
Bee Moody Center for the ArtsSuh puts his process on full display, recreating parts of his studio and charting the course for his expansive practice exploring ideas about home, memory, and how we relate to physical space. Rubbermaids full of string and fabric, shelves full of toy dinosaurs and action figures, and small models of architectural sculptures provide insight into Suh’s influences and creative exercises, while completed projects reveal the final steps.
Included in In process are several fundamental works such as ‘Inverted Monument’, in which an inverted figure is suspended in a dense network of rope. Also on display is a collection of fabric sculptures that mimic everyday objects such as water taps, doorknobs and keyholes in gauzy, translucent fabric. Arranged by color, these delicate pieces draw attention to our attachment to and dependence on such everyday objects.
Part of uncovering the inner workings of his process also involves what Suh calls “dismantling the myth of the artist as an individual genius.” Existing in various forms since 2016, ‘Artland’ is a vibrant landscape that welcomes different groups (first Suh’s daughters, followed by communities across continents) to add bits of malleable clay to the alien terrain.
“For me, ‘Artland’ is an extension of a large part of my practice,” the artist told Colossal, adding:
When I had children, I had to let go of a lot of the control I was used to in my life. Nothing is wilder or freer than a child’s mind, and I have learned so much from being a parent. ‘Artland’ was born from this small-scale collaboration between the families, but it has had such a positive impact on visitor engagement from Seoul to Brooklyn to Houston: the results are always more fantastic than expected and downright joyful.
If you’re in Houston, see In process until December 21. Otherwise, find more from the artist via Lehmann Maupin And Instagram.
