Some/One

2001, Do Ho Suh, Korean, born 1962, Stainless steel military dog tags, nickel plated copper sheets, steel structure, glass fiber reinforced resin, rubber sheets, 2002.43

Learn about it!:

In South Korea, like many other countries around the world, young men are required to serve in the army. Do Ho Suh, the artist who created this sculpture, described his two years spent in the South Korean army as an important time in his life and an experience that inspired him to make this sculpture, which is made up of dog tags, used by soldiers to identify themselves.

In an interview with Art21, he said:

“Everybody has to go. And so, that’s a great deal of the Korean man’s identity…. It was a very difficult time, but at the same time, I’m glad that I did it. Every man talks about it, their own experience in the military.”

Put it Together

  1. As he was putting this work of art together, Do Ho Suh knew that if he extended the bottom of the sculpture, it would look like a robe. How would you describe this sculpture to a person who had not seen it?
  2. Others have told him it looks like the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, or the armor of a famous Korean general from the 15th century. Does Some/One remind you of anything you have seen before?
Do Ho Suh installs Some/One (2001) at the Seattle Art Museum, Washington, 2002. Production still from the Art in the Twenty-First Century Season 2 episode, Stories, 2003, © Art21, Inc.

A Dream Comes True

In an interview with Art21, artist Do Ho Suh talks about how he was inspired to create Some/One from a dream he had. He describes the dream like this:

“I saw this light in the stadium, and so I thought there’s some kind of activity going on. And as I approached the stadium… I walked slowly and went into the stadium on the ground level, and then I see this reflecting surface in the dream. And I realized I was stepping on these metal pieces that were the military dog tags. And it was slightly vibrating; the dog tags were touching each other, and the sound was from that. And from afar, I saw the central figure in the center of the stadium. I slowly proceeded to the center, and then I realized it was all one piece that gradually rose up and formed this one figure…. So, that was the dream and the image that I got. After that, I made a small drawing. The small drawing was about this vast field of military dog tags on the ground and then a small figure in the center…. That was the impact that I wanted to somehow convey through that piece.”

Photo by Vienna Reyes.

Defining Dog Tags

In the army, dog tags are used to identify soldiers. Most dog tags show a person’s name, Social Security number, blood type, and religious preference. Look closely at the dog tags on Some/One. What do you see on them?

Do Ho Suh used a special typewriter to type these letters and numbers on the dog tags you see. None of them are exactly the same. Think about the things you use to identify yourself, like your name or birthday. What are some of the things about you that make you special and that are unique to you?

Photo by Aurelie Tack.
Listen to musician Deems Tsutakawa discuss this artwork.
Produced by Acoustiguide © Seattle Art Museum
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