Do Ho Suh
Portal

Portal

© 2015 Do Ho Suh

Portal
Portal
ArtistKorean, born 1962
CultureKorean
Titles
  • Portal
Date2015
MediumAcrylic resin
Dimensions132 × 93 5/8 × 48 in. (335.3 × 237.8 × 121.9 cm)
Credit LineMuseum commission funded by the Caroline Wiess Law Accessions Endowment Fund and gift of the artist
Object number2016.353
Current Location
The Glassell School of Art
Mcnair Education Court
On view

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Object Type
DescriptionDo Ho Suh draws inspiration from his immediate heritage and a larger history shaped by the Korean War (1950–53) that laid waste to the capital city of Seoul. In the years of reconstruction that followed, the artist’s father Suh Se-Ok built the family home following a traditional architectural style, with the entry portal based upon an actual 17th-century gate. This same gate is reimagined here, cut into the negative space of the clear acrylic blocks, converting a relic of family life into a transparent shell that triggers layers of association for both the artist and viewer. “For me, a building is more than just space,” Suh has stated. “It is not only physical but also metaphorical and psychological. In my work I want to draw out these intangible qualities of energy, history, life, and memory."
ProvenanceThe artist; commissioned by the MFAH in 2006, completed in 2015.

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

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Paratrooper-III
Do Ho Suh
2006
Monofilament, polyurethane resin, silk organza, and stainless steel armature
2008.537
Karma
Do Ho Suh
2003
Urethane paint on fiberglass and resin
2008.536
Karma Juggler
Do Ho Suh
2007
Red colored pencil on wove paper
2008.36
Who Am We?
Do Ho Suh
2006
Offset Iris print in four colors on coated paper
2021.614
Ne Plus Ultra
Erick Swenson
2010
Resin, MDF, and acrylic paint
2010.178
Untitled (Men's Suits)
Charles LeDray
2009
Laundry cart contents: purple satin bag; clear, white, and black hangers made from alumilite clear cast resin and galvanized steel wire; six pairs of trousers, one shirt, and two neckties made from various fabrics. Laundry bag with nylon cord, alumilite toggles, fabric, and thread, stuffed with fabric. Palette: wood, nails, glue, wood stain, dirt. Cart: wood frame with woven aluminum strips, 1/8-inch ungalvanized steel rod, clear acrylic spray coating, canvas, thread, vinyl, aluminum rivets, dirt, and newspaper ink. Broom: wood handle and housing with bristles. Floor: linoleum backed with canvas.
2010.221
I Wish I Could Give Aretha All the R.E.S.P.E.C.T. She Will Ever Need
Dario Robleto
1998–1999
.A: Cast of found and thrift store trophy parts made with melted Aretha Franklin 45 rpm records (You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman, Prove It, Chain of Fools), resin, spray paint, engraved silver label .B: Cast of found and thrift store trophy parts made with melted Kraftwerk records (Computer World, The Man Machine, Trans-Europe Express), resin, spray paint, engraved chrome label .C: Cast of found and thrift store trophy parts made with melted Maria Callas records (live recordings of Norma, Madame Butterfly and Tosca), resin, spray paint, engraved brass label
2008.840.A-.D
Kidney Stone
Bert L. Long, Jr.
1983–1985
Acrylic on canvas with bones, nails, stones, and fiberglass resin on plaster and cement frame
87.360
Portal
Stephen Mueller
2000
Acrylic on canvas
2007.1144
The Man That Left Home Walking and Came Back Riding
Thornton Dial, Sr.
1994
Steel frame, textiles including cotton and nylon hose, latex rubber gloves, leather, string, brass zipper, polyester resin putty, and latex house paint
2003.694