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For the 2004 Peter Norton Christmas gift, Korean-born artist Do-Ho Suh designed a bowl of clear blown glass, the base of which is comprised of a relief mold of his two hands in a supporting, cupped position. The artist explained, “The idea behind the piece was to materialize the artist’s breath. It’s a gesture of appreciation and of generosity.” [2]
In his art, Suh explores themes from his life, such as his Korean upbringing and his life as an international artist, the individual versus the collective, private space made public space or art, and the idea of home—a place of belonging—when one has a peripatetic lifestyle. A large sculpture or installation by Suh invites the viewer to walk through, over or around it; the experience suggests one is a participant in a dream or ritual. Using translucent or transparent material such as nylon fabric or glass, beautifully and carefully constructed, the sculpture physically embodies Suh’s memory or dream while highlighting its ephemeral aspects. Although his artwork refers to specific sites or institutions from his life—his high school yearbook, his military service, his New York City apartment—the viewer does not engage directly with the artist. One “enters” only to discover that the artist has already departed, leaving the viewer to contemplate on his/her own.
Mara Holt Skov says of the Norton bowl, “Though we know that human hands (and intelligence) are behind nearly everything we make, we rarely see the marks made by those hands. Suh’s bowl reaches out to us as a formally simple yet conceptually complex reminder that the hand is present in everything we make, even when the hand is not.” [3]
Notes:
[1] Carol Kino, “Yes, Virginia, There is a Resale Market,”New York Times, December 18, 2005, A40.
[2] Kino, “Yes, Virginia.”
[3] Skov, “A Bowl,” Object Focus: The Bowl, blog posted March 6, 2013 hosted by the Museum of Contemporary Craft in partnership with Pacific Northwest College of Art, Portland, OR.
Provenance1994
Barbara B. Millhouse, New York. Given as a Christmas gift from the Peter Norton Family. [1]
Notes:
[1] Loan Agreement.
Exhibition History
DepartmentCollection of Barbara B. Millhouse
Untitled (Glass Bowl)
Artist
Do Ho Suh
(born 1962)
Date2004
MediumHand-blown and molded glass
DimensionsOverall: 6 1/2 × 10 × 10 in. (16.5 × 25.4 × 25.4 cm)
Signed<unsigned>
Credit LineCourtesy of Barbara B. Millhouse
Copyright© Do Ho Suh. Courtesy the artist and Lehmann Maupin, New York, Hong Kong, Seoul, and London.
Object numberIL2006.5.1
DescriptionBeginning in 1988, software developer and art collector Peter Norton commissioned a piece annually from a contemporary artist to send to friends at Christmas. The selected artists create limited edition multiples in quantities between 2000 and 5000. Other artists who have participated in the project include Lorna Simpson, Kara Walker, Christian Marclay, Robert Lazzarini, Vik Muniz, and Yinka Shonibare. [1]For the 2004 Peter Norton Christmas gift, Korean-born artist Do-Ho Suh designed a bowl of clear blown glass, the base of which is comprised of a relief mold of his two hands in a supporting, cupped position. The artist explained, “The idea behind the piece was to materialize the artist’s breath. It’s a gesture of appreciation and of generosity.” [2]
In his art, Suh explores themes from his life, such as his Korean upbringing and his life as an international artist, the individual versus the collective, private space made public space or art, and the idea of home—a place of belonging—when one has a peripatetic lifestyle. A large sculpture or installation by Suh invites the viewer to walk through, over or around it; the experience suggests one is a participant in a dream or ritual. Using translucent or transparent material such as nylon fabric or glass, beautifully and carefully constructed, the sculpture physically embodies Suh’s memory or dream while highlighting its ephemeral aspects. Although his artwork refers to specific sites or institutions from his life—his high school yearbook, his military service, his New York City apartment—the viewer does not engage directly with the artist. One “enters” only to discover that the artist has already departed, leaving the viewer to contemplate on his/her own.
Mara Holt Skov says of the Norton bowl, “Though we know that human hands (and intelligence) are behind nearly everything we make, we rarely see the marks made by those hands. Suh’s bowl reaches out to us as a formally simple yet conceptually complex reminder that the hand is present in everything we make, even when the hand is not.” [3]
Notes:
[1] Carol Kino, “Yes, Virginia, There is a Resale Market,”New York Times, December 18, 2005, A40.
[2] Kino, “Yes, Virginia.”
[3] Skov, “A Bowl,” Object Focus: The Bowl, blog posted March 6, 2013 hosted by the Museum of Contemporary Craft in partnership with Pacific Northwest College of Art, Portland, OR.
Provenance1994
Barbara B. Millhouse, New York. Given as a Christmas gift from the Peter Norton Family. [1]
Notes:
[1] Loan Agreement.
Exhibition History
Status
Not on view