Our Representation of Do Ho Suh’s Cause and Effect
Group 44: Miranda Sanford, Eric O. Scott, David Schakarov,
Group Statement:
It was difficult to decipher the convoluted sculpture titled “Cause & Effect” because of its abstractness. In order to better understand our own artistic adaptations and achieve a well-rounded understanding, our initial reactions were much different than the way we look at the piece, collectively, now. The piece definitely focuses on the individual morphing into the rest of society. It depicts how one individual can be so key to holding up a whole group. The colors used by the artists all resemble different emotions and the red used for the sculpture is the most apparent color. The individual must continue to pursue independence from dependent factors in life, while still trying to be connected to that support system of life. Do Ho Suh could be pushing his audience to be independent while also warning of the connected society we will never be able to escape. The idea to represent this multifaceted, complicated sculpture with one element is an exploration in meaning. Can this work still instill a similar feeling with only one component? We wanted to use just one of the little men to see a new perspective of this work. Normally while observing Do Ho Suh’s Cause and Effect you barely notice that the tiny pieces of the chandelier are anything more than amorphous plastic. We want to explore the nature of the individual components. While observing the piece it seems that the tiny men may each represent a tiny cause and the whole chandelier the giant effect.
Background:
Do Ho Suh was born in Seoul, Korea, in 1962. After earning his degrees in Oriental Painting from Seoul National University and doing his term of mandatory service for the South Korean military, Suh moved to the United States to continue his studies at the Rhode Island School of Design and Yale University. He is best known for his intricate sculptures that defy conventional notions of scale and site-specificity. Suh draws attention to the ways the audience interacts with public space. In several of the artist’s floor sculptures, viewers are encouraged to walk on surfaces composed of thousands of miniature human figures, just like the sculpture being analyzed
Description of original sculpture: From afar, this piece looks like a chandelier made perhaps of glass or plastic that seems to be dripping down from the ceiling. It fades from white to red in color. Upon closer inspection you can see that the entire piece is composed of hundreds of small acrylic men. The sculpture is fairly large taking up two stories. It is placed in Academic West which is symbolic and adds to the meaning of this piece. Education is a concept heavily reliant on the idea of collaboration. It shouldn’t come to a surprise that Do Ho Suh placed this in a building on campus dedicated to the education of students going into teaching. This sculpture is acknowledging the collaborative ability of individuals. To make it anywhere in life and accomplish goals you need the help from colleagues, mentors and more. From afar, a system, idea or organization may seem to be a higher power than human life or separate from us. We are what makeup our communities, whether we agree on a common good or not. Every individual is supporting one another and being supported by someone else, both in society and in this sculpture by Do Ho Suh.
Resources:
https://www.artsy.net/artist/do-ho-suh
https://www.wikiart.org/en/do-ho-suh
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