THE INTERSECTION OF
KOREAN ART AND
WESTERN GRAPHIC DESIGN

ANNA LEE

BRIEF OVERVIEW OF KOREAN HISTORY

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Korea has historically had a very rocky narrative of partition and reunification. Its geographical location has allowed Korea to always have a culturally diverse history as new ideas were always passing through from China to Japan or vice versa.

Korea had four dynasties before becoming the divided country it is today. The first dynasty is known as the Three Kingdoms period (57 B.C. - 668 A.D.). Originally formed as a reaction against China’s military commanderies during the Han dynasty, Silla, Koguryo, and Paekche grew from powerful tribal clans into fierce kingdoms that constantly vied for control over one another. Silla succeeded in gaining control over all three kingdoms in 668 A.D. which led to the formation of the second dynasty: the Unified Silla dynasty (668-935). The new government declared Buddhism, which had been introduced by China in the previous dynasty, the religion of the state. This caused an influx of new art dedicated to Buddhist imagery and temples to pop up around Korea.

In 918, Wang Kon, a high-ranking military official, reunited all three kingdoms under the Kingdom of Koryo. This formed the third dynasty: the Koryo dynasty (918-1392). An infatuation with Chinese culture infiltrated the Koryo kingdom which led to the introduction of Confucianism. China was ravaged and later taken over by Mongol forces. Mongol armies invaded Korea six times forcing the Koryo court to broker a peace treaty with Mongol rulers. This led to several decades of close relations, including intermarriage, with the Mongol Yuan emperors.

When China overthrew the Mongol government and created the Ming dynasty, the Koryo court was divided between pro-Ming and pro-Mongal alliances. In response to the formation of the Ming dynasty, Koryo sent a military expedition to Manchuria. Yi Song-gye, a pro-Ming expedition commander turned his troops around and seized control of Koryo instead thus forming the Choson dynasty (1392-1910). Buddhism was highly discouraged as it was tied to the corrupt Koryo court, and Neo-Confucianism was embraced. Neo-Confucianism’s austere ideologies caused a massive change in Korea’s art scene.

In 1592 and 1598, Japan launched two devastating military campaigns on Korea. Despite Choson’s close political relations with the Ming court, Ming troops failed to aid Korea during the Japanese attacks which caused a rift in the Choson court, this time pro-Chinese and anti-Chinese factions. In 1905 Japan coerced Korea into signing the Treaty of Ulsa which made Korea a protectorate of Japan and relinquished all control over Korea’s foreign relations to the whims of the Japanese government. Following the Russo-Japanese War, Japan annexed Korea beginning its 35-year colonization over the peninsula in 1910. Korea’s exposure to European art increased during this time.

The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in World War II caused Japan to surrender to the Allies. The signing of the Potsdam Declaration guaranteed Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonization in 1945. In its newfound freedom, Korea struggled to find an identity as a nation. The North was under Soviet control while the South was under U.S. control. This caused a major division between communist and imperialist ideals. Left-wing artists believed that art should serve a social purpose for the benefit of the state and advocated for Korea’s fresh start, however, right-wing artists didn’t agree with the erasure of Korea’s past and argued for a return to aesthetics and art for art’s sake. In 1948 two governments were established in Korea. Syngman Rhee became the first president of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) and Kim Il-sung became the first communist leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea).

Art Nouveau

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1880-1914

The Art Nouveau movement is known for its ornate decorative elements and allegorical figures. The swirling, organic floral motifs were in direct reaction against the mechanical aesthetic brought on by the Industrial Revolution. Artists believed that all aspects of life deserved to be beautiful and well designed. It began around 1880 in France and faded out around 1914 with the changing of times and the push towards a more modern look.

My poster is dedicated to a Korean kisaeng named Hwang Jini (황진이). Kisaeng are the Korean equivalent of Japanese geishas. They are trained in music, dance, poetry, and art and go on to entertain the aristocracy. The Choson dynasty practiced Confucianism and was an extremely patriarchal society that demanded that women be extraordinarily selfless. Women were given little leeway in self-identity, were not allowed to have contact with men outside of their family, and were often divorced if they showed signs of jealousy over a husband’s mistress. In an oppressive time like this, kisaeng were given much more freedom. They were allowed to express themselves artistically, were given an education, and had much more financial stability and independence. However, they were still women of an outcast demographic and were hardly given the recognition they deserved while they were alive. Hwang Jini was a tour de force with lovers and left a lasting impact as well as an accomplished poet which has led to her becoming an almost allegorical figure in Korea.

Plakatstil

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1906-1930

Plakatstil, also known as Sachplakat, was founded in Germany during the early 1900s. This new style came about as a rebellion against the Art Nouveau and Victorian style of art. It is known for its simplicity in shapes and use of white space to draw all focus on the subject matter at hand. Because of this style’s ability to remove all unnecessary and distracting flair, many companies started shifting their advertisements to this art style.

The photo I wanted to recreate shows a Korean aristocrat, yangban, riding in a rickshaw. I thought this photo was a nice snapshot of Korea right before Japanese colonization in 1910. I originally was very excited to emulate the suit patterns in Hohlwein’s poster, however, after considering the lack of patterns on the original photograph, I stuck to flat planes of white for the figure’s clothes. Most Koreans could not afford the brightly colored fabric that royalty wore. I thought that keeping the figures in white clothing would also be the most historically accurate.

Friend Embroidery

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Lee Chong-woo was one of the first Korean artists who got an art education influenced by Western ideas. He thought that oil painting was a nice change of pace from the traditional minimalistic ink paintings of the East and sought to spread oil painting to his fellow artists in Korea. I choose this piece in particular becuase I thought it represented a time period that was specific to the turning point where Korean art started becoming westernized. I wanted to explore textures through embroidery just like Lee Chong-woo would have explored the new textural opportunities that oil painting brought that ink painting could never have achieved.

Korean Art Post Liberation from Japan

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With the Korean liberation came a period of cultural uncertainty. After Japan had attempted to overwrite all Korean culture during its reign over 35 years, Korea struggled to define what its true identity was. Korea was occupied by Russia in the north and the U.S. in the south for three years after liberation. Those who prescribed to communist thoughts believed that this was the perfect opportunity to start fresh. They’d create art for social use and promote a new way of living that aligned with communism. Those who aligned more with imperialism thought that Korea disagreed with throwing away the past. They saw the importance of tradition and cultural history. These people wanted to continue creating art for art’s sake.

Eventually, when separate North and South Korean governments were formed, North Korean artists were encouraged to adhere to realism while the youth in South Korea embraced abstraction for its newness and modernity.

Korean Art in the 80s

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With the dawning of the 80s, South Korea came out of an authoritarian dictatorship and straight into another authoritarian military regime. Citizens held demonstrations crying out for a civilian government. In May 1980, a bloody, large-scale demonstration called the Kwangju Uprising lasted ten days which ended in more than one hundred civilian deaths. The minjung movement called for democratization and was a huge force in pushing the South Korean government away from a military government. Minjung art played a huge role in the movement. It criticized the flaws in social classes and political conditions.

“Minjung are the producers and at the same time the uprooted, they are the oppressed masses and at the same time the revolutionary subjects.”
— Jee-sook Beck

Memphis Design

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1880-1914

Memphis design is denoted by bright, often clashing colors, paired with bold geometric shapes and repetitive patterns. The movement was started by a group of artists called the Memphis Group in Italy. They aimed to create a whole new visual aesthetic from the mid-century modern and minimalistic trends of the time. It’s outrageous, kitschy, and encapsulates the visual world of the 80s.

Compared to the subdued art of Korea’s past, Memphis
Design presents a completely different perspective on visual communication. I wanted to see what it looked like if I were to apply loud splashes of color to a Korean landscape. I noticed that this particular pagoda had been painted similar to Buddhist temples. I saw similarities with Memphis Design in its bright colors and geometrical patterns. However, I wanted to go bigger and I decided to add key Memphis Design characteristics to the exterior world. It was interesting to see what a Memphis Design landscape might look like considering most pieces were more concerned with interior design and furniture.