zoom
R a d a r
F l a m
e w
o r k
T h e e b b a n d f lo w o f h u m a n e x -
p e r i e n c e - a b o v e a ll, o u r n a t u r a l
y e a r n i n g t o r is e a b o v e lim it a -
t io n s a n d a c h ie v e a d r e a m —in -
s p ir e s th e in t r ic a t e a n d a m b itio u s
f la m e w o r k e d g la s s s c u lp t u r e s
o f E u n - S u h C h o i.
“ W e a ll d e s ir e s o m e t h in g
b e t t e r f o r o u r s e lv e s . T h i s in t e r -
e s t c a m e fr o m t h e n e w p e r s p e c -
t iv e I h a d o n m y s e lf w h e n I c a m e
t o t h e u . s . , ” s a y s t h e 3 2 - y e a r -
o ld , w h o m o v e d fr o m h e r n a tiv e
K o r e a to u p s t a te N e w Y o r k in
2 0 0 4 t o g e t h e r m a s t e r ’s d e g r e e
in g la s s a t t h e R o c h e s t e r I n s t i-
t u t e o f T e c h n o l o g y . A t fir s t
a lo n e a n d s o m e tim e s lo n e ly in
a n e w c u lt u r e , C h o i im m e r s e d
h e r s e l f in t h e s t u d i o , d e l v in g
d e e p w it h i n to c r e a t e a s e r ie s o f
la b o r - in t e n s iv e c o n s t r u c t io n s
o n t h e th e m e o f a s p ir a t io n .
I m a g e s o f la d d e r s , s t e p s a n d
c lo u d s a b o u n d in t h e s e w o r k s ,
w h ic h r a n g e f r o m 18 in c h e s t o 10
f e e t t a ll, a n d b e a r t it le s lik e
Re-
incarnation Q
a n d
Stairway to
Heaven.
A n o t h e r r e c u r r in g m o t i f
is th e t r e e , a s in
Progression 1
a n d
Dreaming
© , w h ic h C h o i s e e s
a s h a v in g h u m a n q u a l i t i e s - “ it
li v e s , b r e a t h s , g r o w s a n d d i e s . ”
Double Conscious
© , f e a t u r e d in
th e “ S e a r c h li g h t ” s e c t io n o f
t h e A m e r ic a n C r a f t C o u n c il
B a lt im o r e C r a f t S h o w , d e p ic t s
a t h r e e - p a r t s e q u e n c e o f m o m e n -
tu m : a s t ir r in g , r is in g u p t o p u s h
a b a r r ie r , t h e n b r e a k t h r o u g h
a n d t r a n s c e n d e n c e . “ I t r ie d t o
c r e a t e a p h y s ic a l r e p r e s e n ta tio n
o f w h a t it fe e ls lik e t o h a v e a m o -
m e n t o f lib e r a t io n ,” C h o i s a y s .
“ T h e m o m e n t fe e ls s a c r e d .”
C h o i h a s o v e r c o m e h e r s h a r e
o f o b s t a c le s , s t a r t in g a t th e t e n -
d e r a g e o f o n e , w h e n s h e d ip p e d
b o t h h a n d s in t o b o ilin g w a t e r .
T h e a c c id e n t n e c e s s it a t e d fo u r
s k in - g r a f t s u r g e r ie s , a n d c o m -
p e lle d h e r t o fin d w a y s t o c o m -
p e n s a te f o r a s lig h t la c k o f f a c il-
i t y w i t h h e r r ig h t h a n d . S h e
i d o li z e d t h e K o r e a n fa s h io n
d e s ig n e r A n d r e K i m , a n d e n v i -
s io n e d a c a r e e r in fa s h io n a s
“ m y d e s t in y .” S h e a tte n d e d s e v -
e r a l u n iv e r s i t i e s in S e o u l , fir s t
m a jo r in g in t e x t il e d e s ig n . W h e n
s h e a p p lie d t o a a d v a n c e d t e x -
t ile s p r o g r a m a n d w a s o f f e r e d
a p la c e in g la s s in s t e a d , s h e a l-
m o s t t u r n e d i t d o w n . “ M y fa th e r
s a id , ‘ W h y d o n ’t y o u t r y it ?
Y o u m ig h t lik e it .’ ”
C h o i t o o k h e r f a t h e r ’s a d v ic e ,
g o t p a s t h e r fe a r s , a n d w a s s o o n
e x p lo r in g t h e e x p r e s s iv e p o s s i-
b ilit ie s o f la m p w o r k , t h e t e c h -
n iq u e o f m a n ip u la t in g g la s s
t u b e s w i t h a t o r c h . H e r t h e s is
p r o je c t w a s a d e f in in g s e r ie s
o f s c u lp t u r e s c a lle d R e in c a r n a -
t io n , in s p ir e d b y B u d d h is t p h i-
lo s o p h y a n d th e id e a th a t h u m a n
li f e is li k e w a t e r —c o n s t a n t ly
c h a n g in g , s o m e tim e s t u r b u le n t,
o t h e r t im e s c a lm .
S in c e c o m in g t o A m e r i c a ,
h e r o w n lif e h a s b e e n a b o u t a
s in g le - m in d e d fo c u s o n h e r a r t .
T h o u g h s h e m is s e s fr ie n d s a n d
f a m il y in K o r e a , C h o i is d e t e r -
m in e d t o s u c c e e d in h e r a d o p te d
c o u n t r y . “ I h a v e a d r e a m ,” sh e
s a y s , “ a n d I t h in k I c a n d r e a m
h e r e .” — J.L .
Gimme More!
c h o ig la s s .c o m
M A / B o s t o n
© Society of Arts and Crafts:
American Enamels
t o J u ly 2 6
s o c i e t y o f c r a f t s .o r g
T h i s t r ib u t e t o e n a m e lin g ,
s h o w c a s e s w o r k b y d iv e r s e
a r t is t s s u c h a s K a t e B a u m a n ’ s
F r o m t h e S i lh o u e t t e s e r ie s .
M N / S t . P a u l
American Association
ofWoodturners Gallery:
coda chrome: A Snapshot
o f Craft in America
t o A u g . 7
g a lle r y o f w o o d a r t .o r g
R e m a r k a b le w o r k s b y m e m b e r s
o f th e C r a f t O r g a n iz a t io n
D e v e lo p m e n t A s s o c i a t i o n .
M O / C o lu m b ia
Columbia Art League:
Short Stories: Narratives from
the Kiln
J u n e 2 0 - A u g . 1
c a l.m is s o u r i.o r g
A r t i s t e m b e d p e r s o n a l h is to r ie s
w it h in g la s s , c r e a t in g a u n iq u e
v is u a l v o c a b u la r y .
M O / K a n s a s C i t y
Byron C. Cohen Gallery:
On the Curve: Regina Benson
to J u ly 11
b v r o n c o h e n g a lle r v .c o m
B e n s o n ’s t e x t i l e s u n d u la t e
in c o n c e r t w i t h n a t u r e .
M T / R e d L o d g e
Red Lodge Clay Center:
Butter
J u n e 5 - 3 0
r e d lo d g e c la y c e n t e r .c o m
C e r a m ic s a r e lin k e d e it h e r
t h r o u g h u s e , s t o r a g e o r n a r r a tiv e
to t h is h ig h - fa t s u b s t a n c e w i t h -
o u t t h e h e a lt h r is k .
020 american craft jun/julo9
