Art Over Time: KOREA by Ines S Bu

BOOK 001

ART OVER TIME EDITION : KOREA

ART / TIME Ines Bu

I introduction

As my final creative project for the course Contemporary Photography and Media Art in East Asia, I have decided to create a book dedicated to better understanding the relationship between history and art in East Asian countries. Art Over Time: The Development of Multimedia Arts in Asia is a informational booklet that aims to briefly summarize the history of art in various Asian countries, and how each of these countries have developed religiously, politically, economically and technologically in order to be able to produce the contemporary artworks and artists of today. It focuses heavily on China, Japan and Korea as we have seen in this course. The historic relationship between these countries are rich and is crucial to the understanding of the role that art and the media holds in today’s society. I wanted to emphasize the history of these three countries as I strongly believe that contemporary art is still impacted by events of the past, and fully understanding significant historic events will enrich the artistic material. As an Asian and an artist myself, I felt that it was important for me to continue to develop my knowledge of Asian art history, and roles that art has played in different countries and different socities over time. Art is influenced by each and every aspect of society. Asia has a particularily rich, turbulent history in all areas, and throughout the process of creating this book, I have learned so much and I hope that I can share this with everyone.

KOR

II korean history

Korean art is a very unique aspect of Korean history as it begins by transmitting the core values of Chinese culture until it eventually develops into an incredible culture of its own. Korea’s rocky relationship with both China and Japan are evident in the multiple stages of development in Korean art, and the country’s name itself - Hankook - meaning “one nation” (Han: one-ness, kook: nation) is a true testament to the turbulent cultural and political history rooted in the country. The most traditional forms of Korean Art date back to 3000BC and consists primarily of calligraphy, music, painting and pottery, and often take on forms and colors inspired by the natural world. The oldest forms of art include votive sculptures created for kingdoms and dynasties. Modern South Korean history is still relatively young, only dating back to 1945, when the Japanese surrendered their rulership after World War II, dividing the country into what we now know as North and South Korea. Korea was divided at the 38th parallel, with the Soviety Union administering what is now North Korea, while the United States took governance over the South. While this divide was initially set to be a temporary one, the parties’ inability to agree on a single ideology resulted in the eternal division of the nation.

KOREAN HISTORY

The Korean language (Hangul) is one of the most misunderstood and misrepresented languages in the world because of its uncertain origins. While many believe that the Korean alphabet as we know it today was based off of the traditional Chinese alphabet, Koreans did not emerge from a single culture. Therefore, it can be understood that the Korean alphabet is a simplification and a modification of multiple languages used by those who populated the Korean Peninsula in the ancient times. In 1443, King Sejong of the Yi Dynasty (1392-1910) developed the modern Korean writing system, breaking away from the scripts of Chinese characters that were used to represent Korean sounds. Until then, the study of language was limited to the elite, and King Sejong’s simplification of the language into 24 letters allowed the common people to effectively communicate. The Goreyo dynasty (918-1392) was the first kingdom of the Dynastic Period, and during this time, some of the most significant artistic developments were made, and artisans of the time were recognized for their pottery works. Many Korean artisans practiced celadon pottery, and while the art form originated in China, Korean potters created their own unique style and used traditional glazes to make this a staple of Korean art.

Since then, many major developments have been made in Korean art. The most traditional forms of Korean artworks are associated with kingdoms, temples and religion. Korean architecture continues to be inspired by historically open temples and palaces, and often use geometric shapes and natural patterns to this day. While South Korean history is rather new, the country is renown for some of the most influential technological advancements in the world. Apple’s largest competitor, born and grown in South Korea, is now one of the leading conglomerates for art, technology, media, design and more, and it is evident that the country will continue to produce high caliber works. The practice of art and design as a profession and an academic subject is rather new to the country, though. Fine arts and design education programs were recently first introduced and taken seriously, and scholars of this practice often teach authenticity and devotion to Korean identity. Therefore, many of the most wellknown multimedia artists from the country use their artworks to express their thoughts and sometimes even retaliate against Korea’s political systems.

백남준 NAM JUNE PAIK 13

NAM JUNE PAIK

Nam June Paik. Li Tai Po, 1987. Video sculpture with 10 antique wooden TV cabinets, 1 antique radio cabinet, 1 antique Korean printing block, 1 antique Korean book, 11 color televisions. 96 x 62 x 24 in. (243.8 x 157.5 x 61 cm). Continuous loop.

Nam June Paik’s Electronic Super Highway: Continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii, 1995 at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, December 2012 - August 2013

Nam June Paik is a South Korean multimedia artist and is considered to the founder of video art. In 1974, he coined the term “electronic super highway,” to describe the future of telecommunications. Born in Keijo, what is now the capital city of South Korea - Seoul - in 1932 when Korea was still under Japanese rulership, Paik’s family owned a textile manufacturing firm, exposing him to arts from a very young age. He grew up to train as a classical pianist, and during the Korean War, his family fled to Hong Kong and Japan, where he would eventually graduate with a degree in aesthetics from the University of Tokyo.

He contributed greatly to the classical music scene with some of the greatest composers and musicians of his time. It was not until the Neo-Dada art movement where he was inspired by composer John Cage to incorporate every day soundsinto his music. In 1964, Paik moved to New York and continue to combine video, music and performance to create his artworks. A year after, he purchased a Sony TCV-2010, one f the first combination units that acted as a video tape recorder.

KIM HEE CHEON 16

김 희 천 17

Heecheon Kim is a Seoul-based videographer and multimedia artist whose works are reflective of the constantly changing trends of South Korea. His works are both critical and magical, and challenges the boundaries between the virtual and physical world through his videography and digital artworks. Artsy describes his 2016 masterpiece Sleigh Ride Chill, as “a cautionary tale of a leaked sex tape; an online suicide club: these are the three intertwining stories…that form a picture of contemporary Seoul. Juxtaposing filmed and found footage with animated sequences, he uses technology — video gaming, face swapping, virtual reality — to examine social issues in Korea. Social and economic injustice is a leading cause of South Korea’s infamously high suicide rates. South Korea’s suicide rates rank amongst the highest between countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and remains as one of the leading causes of death in South Korea. In 1997, the Asian Financial Crisis hit South Korea causing a major surge in unemployment rates.

KIM HEE CHEON

Nam June Paik’s Electronic Super Highway: Continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii, 1995 at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, December 2012 - August 2013

This economic impact, paired with the traditional mindset that men should be solely responsible for the finances of his own family and their elders, and the country’s poorlyfunded social safety net are all causes for such high suicide rates. Korea’s mandatory military service, which was first established in 1957 requires all male citizens between the ages of 18 and 35 to serve as an active member of the military for 26 months. Despite the many controversies that surround conscription, Korea practices a strictly enforced draft system. On May 18, 1980, The Gwangju Uprising took place, where citizens of the city Gwangju rioted against the Korean army and the Korean Government police. The effects of the Gwangju Uprising and the mandatory military service in general play a crucial part in understanding Yong-Ho’s development and his sense of masculinity. Modern day hit-TV show Squid Games and Director Bong Jun-Ho’s Parasite, while fictitious, not-so-subtly touch on the far-reaching financial disparity. The socialpolitical and socioeconomic gap across different ages, genders, areas, and classes within South Korea is an ongoing issue that is reflected greatly in Kim’s artworks.

NORTH K GRAPHIC 20

KOREA: C DESIGN 21

III north korea

Despite its prominent profile in the news and the media, very little is known about North Korea. There are very few studies that revolve around the visual culture of North Korea, and it is safe to assume that many aspects of North Korean culture will continue to remain a mystery to the general public. In 1993, Author and Artist Nicholas “Nick” Bonner, who studied Landscape Architecture in the United Kingdom, visited North Korea and became mesmerized by North Korean product packaging and the artistry behind everyday items in the country. He published Made in North Korea: Graphics From Everyday Life in the DPRK which features a multitude of different graphic design elements unique to North Korea. North Korean designs are unlike anything that we encounter regularly. North Korean artists continue to use hand painted watercolor designs and minimally incorporate digital photography and computer-generated imagery in their works. Bonner claims that the three pillars of North Korean graphic design are practicality, purity, and beauty.