The space between the modern in Korean art edited by Virginia Moon ; with essays by Kang Mingi, Joan Kee, Kim Inhye, Kim Yisoon, Kwon Heangga, Mok Soohyun, Virginia Moon ; additional contributions by Bae Wonjung, Julia H. Han, Ellen Joo, Kim Yejin, Youngin Arial Kim, Park Hyesung ; special conversation with Nora Noh
327 pages illustrations (chiefly color), portraits (chiefly color) 30 cm
Type:
Exhibitions
Exhibition catalogs
Place:
Korea
Date:
2022
20th century
21st century
Notes:
Published in conjunction with an exhibition of the same name held at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, September 11, 2022-February 19, 2023
"This exhibition was organized by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art with the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea."--Colophon
Contents:
Stepping into the space between: the modern in Korean art / Virginia Moon -- Changes in perception and expression in Korean ink-wash and oil paintings of the early twentieth century / Mok Soohyun -- The birth and gestation of Korean photography (1880s-1960s) / Kwon Heangga -- A brief look at the new woman (Sinyeoseong) phenomenon / Virginia Moon -- Interview with Nora Noh, Korea's first fashion designer / Virginia Moon -- New reflections on polychrome ink painting / Kang Mingi -- Historical and artistic exploration in Korea: 1920s-1950s / Kim Inhye -- Korean modern sculpture: from a new aesthetic language to the search for identity / Kim Kisoon -- What contemporary art means in Korea / Joan Kee
Summary:
"In 'The Space Between', a generative period in Korean art between the traditional and the contemporary is illuminated comprehensively for the first time. After the centuries-long Joseon dynasty came 35 uninterrupted years of the Japanese colonial period (1910-45) followed by the Korean War (1950-53). During this tumultuous time, Korean artists grappled with issues such as identity and nationalism and experimented with a broad range of media. The book is organized into five categories: 'The Modern Encounter': foreign influences enter the country in a significant way in the late 19th and early 20th centuries; 'The Modern Response': how foreign methods are accepted or rejected; 'The Pageantry of the New Woman (Sinyeoseong) Movement': modern women's attitudes; 'The Modern Momentum': advances in using foreign styles; and 'Evolving into the Contemporary': a glimpse into the contemporary. Most notable during this period are the introductions of photography, sculpture and oils, which arrived via Japan and came to define modern art in Korea. At the same time, traditional ink painting reinvented itself: works grew larger in scale while keeping traditional landscape motifs with alterations in the use of color and composition. Artists of modern ink believed that theirs was the true future of modern art, unsullied by elements found in the West. By the end of the Korean War, the magnified status of the US made way for access to American abstract art and, indirectly, European informel. For nearly a decade, abstract expressionist and informal styles dominated Korean art. The volume concludes in the 1960s, setting the stage for contemporary art in Korea."--Provided by publisher
