Wednesday, October 26, 2011

"Home Within Home" by Do Ho Suh at the Lehmann Maupin Gallery

It reflects a chapter within a fairytale-like story in which the artist described feeling "as if he was dropped from the sky." In this narrative, a tornado hits Suh and his Korean home, transporting him to the US where the tornado then drops him and the house on a building in Providence. The work depicts the crash and the fusion of the two homes.

The Lehmann Maupin Gallery recently presented "Home Within Home" on view from 8 September – 22 October, 2011 at 540 W. 26th Street. In Home Within Home, Do Ho Suh showcased a series of works that reflect the artist’s ongoing exploration of themes surrounding cultural displacement and the co-existence of cultural identities, as well as the perception of our surroundings and how one constructs a memory of a space. Suh’s own feeling of displacement when he arrived in the U.S. in 1991 to study at RISD led him to measure spaces in order to establish relationships with his new surroundings. Years later, the artist developed the idea of taking these measurements and using them to replicate and transport spaces. Suh constructs these architectural spaces and the elements within them in various mediums including fabrics, resin, and Styrofoam. Among the works exhibited in this show were Fallen Star 1/5, Home Within Home, and a series of fabric objects, all personally revealing works which invite viewers into his homes. The photos above are from one of the stunning installations featured in the exhibition. It reflects a chapter within a fairytale-like story in which the artist described feeling "as if he was dropped from the sky." In this narrative, a tornado hits Suh and his Korean home, transporting him to the US where the tornado then drops him and the house on a building in Providence. The work depicts the crash and the fusion of the two homes. Information from the Lehmann Maupin Gallery website.
Do Ho Suh received a BFA in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design and an MFA in sculpture from Yale University in 2001.

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