1945–2009 Online Platform for Korean Modern and Contemporary Art

Kwon Heangga

1953-1959: The Post-war Formation of Contemporary Art

After ceasefire of the Korean War in July 1953, Korean art history was reorganized into art centered on South Korea rather than art of the Korean peninsula. In the midst of the Cold War, the South Korean art world began to lay the foundation for post-war contemporary art within the framework of a state-led art and culture policy centered on anti-communism. The older generation, who benefitted from the national art and culture policy, established the academism of the National Art Exhibitions [Daehanminguk misul jeollamhoe, also known as Gukjeon], while new generations, who rebelled against it, designated the art of older generations as “modern” [geundae], and to define contemporary art, began to advocate “abstraction,” the “avant-garde,” and “internationalization.” The art world of the 1950s was a “period of transition to contemporary art,” filled with the desire to move beyond modernity. Dispute over the State-led Art System and the National Art Exhibition After the armistice of the Korea War, Korean society entered a period of post-war recovery. The Korean art world began to be reorganized, with artists, who fled to Busan, Daegu, and other places during the Koran War, returning to Seoul, alongside artists defecting to South Korea from North Korea, who filled the void left by artists who defected to North Korea. The Great Korean Art Association [Daehan misul hyeophoe], led by right-wing artists under the leadership of Ko Huidong, took on the character of a cultural organization that disseminated the ideology of liberal democracy and anti-communism. The National Academy of Arts, Republic of Korea, launched in accordance with the presidential decree announced at the beginning of the New Year in 1954, and the National Art Exhibition (Gukjeon), which resumed after the war, became established as key institutions dominating the art world since the 1950s. Just as the Joseon Art Exhibition [Joseon misul jeollamhoe] during the Japanese colonial period was the only gateway for artists, the National Art Exhibition was still the only portal for artists and a means of guaranteeing social reputation and status. However, because the right to select judges for the National Art Exhibition rested with the National Academy of Arts, Republic of Korea, the National Art Exhibition became the epicenter of artists’ struggle for hegemony. Disputes surrounding the judging of the National Art Exhibition, including the division between the Great Korean Art Association and the Korean Fine Arts Association [Hanguk misul hyeophoe], the boycott of the National Art Exhibition, and the exhibition of rejected works from the National Art Exhibition, reached their peak in the late 1950s. Opposition Between Figuration and Abstraction Until the early to mid-1950s, the dominant style of the National Art Exhibitions was figurative art. As the anti-National Art Exhibition tendency began to form in the late 1950s, artists critical of this pursued abstraction or non-figurative art as the new avant-garde, in opposition to realism and figurative art. The Neoplastics [Sinjohyeongpa] formed in 1956, the Four Artists Exhibition (1956) organized by artists graduated from Hongik University who declared their oppositional stance against the National Art Exhibition, the Creative Arts Association [Changjak misul hyeophoe] and the Modern Art Association [Modeon ateu hyeophoe], and the Contemporary Art Exhibit (1957) hosted by the Chosun Ilbo newspaper company, among others, led this trend. It reached a peak during the third and fourth exhibitions of the Hyundae Fine Artists Association in 1958. The younger generation, fresh out of university, filled the exhibition with enormous screens of rough brushstrokes, matières, and intensely colored abstracts. Labeled as “the aesthetic vanguard,” they referenced Abstract Expressionism and Art Informel, introduced through Japan and the U.S. On account of this, there was criticism from art critics that it was nothing more than an imitation of the West. Nevertheless, their unrestrained experimentation with technique and expressionistic abstractions secured legitimacy as an expression of the existential anxiety of the Korean War generation, and as the shared global language of form in line with the subjective traditions of the East, to become established as the representative trend in the art world of the late 1950s. The opposition between figurative vs. abstract or non-figurative art, which began in the 1950s, took on the form of modern vs. contemporary, and conservative vs. progressive oppositions. However, in the 1960s, abstraction was incorporated into the National Art Exhibition, and in 1962, as separate figurative and non-figurative sections became established within the National Art Exhibition, abstraction also became part of the academicism of the National Art Exhibitions. International Exchanges and Korean Artists Studying Abroad The 1950s was also the first time Korean art expanded overseas and international exchanges became active. In the Cold War system after WWII, international cultural exchanges were used as one kind of diplomatic tool. Sponsorship by the United States International Cooperation Agency (ICA), which was an American aid agency for developing countries, the American-Korean Foundation (A.K.F.), and the Rockefeller Foundation played important roles in the overseas expansion of Korean art and international exchanges. The Korean Plastic Arts and Culture Research Institute (Hanguk johyeong munhwa yeonguso) that was operated by the National Museum of Korea with a three-year grant from the Rockefeller Foundation, ICA support for the Korean Handicraft Demonstration Center, and the exchange exhibition between the University of the Minnesota and Seoul National University, the National Museum of Korea’s touring exhibition of Korean art in the U.S., and exhibitions such as Contemporary Korean Paintings (1958) held at World House Galleries in New York, and support for Korean artists to study abroad in the United States—such activities were all carried out as part of the U.S. aid or exchange policy during the cultural Cold War. Yoo Kangyul and Chung Kyu, who worked at the Korean Plastic Arts and Culture Research Institute, learned graphics, ceramics, and printmaking in the U.S., and sculptor Kim Chungsook also learned silkscreen printmaking techniques along with sculpture and introduced them to Korean university education for the first time. The reason why exchanges in the fields of printmaking and crafts were particularly prominent was because U.S. aid to developing countries was tied to the practical aim of industrial development. Eight American Contemporary Artists (1957) and The Family of Man (1957), which were held in direct or indirect connection with the United States Information Agency (USIA) and the United States Information Service-Korea (USIS), not only served as an opportunity to spark interest in American contemporary art and photography among the Korean masses, but also influenced the domestic spread of Art Informel and the rise in realist photography. However, the overseas expansion of Korean artists in the 1950s was not only led by the state or limited to the U.S. For example, studying abroad in France was an object of envy for many artists. During this period, many artists began to leave to study in Paris despite difficult circumstances, either with the help of religious organizations or through personal connections. After the Korean Community in Paris (La Communauté coréenne de Paris) was launched with the approval of the diocese in 1954, Kim Yeong-seon, Kim Sou, Na Hikyune, Kim Whanki, Kwon Okyun, Moon Shin, and Lee Ungno left for Paris, led by Nam Kwan. The dobuljeon (translated as the exhibition held right before departing for France) became a synonym for studying abroad, and their return exhibitions, along with contributions in newspapers about the Parisian art scene, became primary channels for introducing contemporary Western art to Korea. The fact that most of these artists were of the generation that had already experienced studying abroad in Japan can be said to be a characteristic of the 1950s that was different from the 1960s and later. Just as Kim Whanki went to Paris and came to reconsider the tradition of Korean art, the problem of overcoming the time gap between Korean art and global art through comparisons with global art, and within that, the question of how to secure the unique identity of Korean art beyond imitation became two major challenges that artists were faced with for the future development of Korean art.

Kim Whanki

Kim Whanki (1913-1974, pen name Suhwa) was born in Sinan, Jeollanamdo, and his family origin was from Gimhae. He studied at the Department of Fine Arts at Nihon University, Tokyo, Japan from 1933 to 1936. He joined the Avant-Garde Western Art Institute in 1934 and submitted his work to Avant-Garde art associations, such as the Second Division Exhibition Nikaten (Nika Art Exhibition) and the Exhibition of the Free Artists Association (Jiyu Bijutsuka Kyokai). After independence, he organized the New Realism Group and worked as a professor in the Department of Fine Art at Seoul National University (1946-1950) and Hongik University (1952-55). He lived in Paris from 1956 to 1959, and after his return, he became a professor and later the Dean of the Fine Art College at Hongik University (1959-1963). He participated in the seventh Sao Paulo Biennale and won an honorary award, and then moved to New York. He abruptly passed away while having a solo exhibition at Poindexter Gallery, New York, ironically when his career in the US was at its peak. As a pioneer of Korean abstract art, he started by working in geometric abstraction and moved on to semi-abstract work that featured natural motifs such as the mountain, the moon, and the river. After moving to the U.S., he returned to abstraction with his so-called "dot paintings." His painting 16-Ⅳ-70 #166 Where, in What Form, Shall We Meet Again? (1970), was awarded a grand prize at the Korean Art Grand Award Exhibition and has inspired many contemporary Korean artists. His work Rondo (1938) was selected as No. 535 within the national Registered Cultural Properties.

Hyun Ilyeong

Hyun Ilyeong (1903-1975) was a pioneer of early commercial photography and a prominent figure in the history of modern and contemporary Korean photography who explored a new language for everyday documentation. He went to Maedong Commercial School in Seoul and took classes in the English department at YMCA. In 1929, while living in Manchuria, Hyun submitted Megane Liver Oil to the International Commercial Art Photography Competition organized by Japan’s Asahi Shimbun newspaper company. Winning second prize, he was introduced to the photography world. He held his first solo exhibition in 1931 in Dalian, Manchuria and later held his second solo exhibition in Pyongyang, which led to voluminous creative activities. In 1932, he moved to Seoul and opened Hyun Ilyeong Photo Studio on Jongno 2-ga, where he worked as a commercial photographer. In 1935, he went to Japan to study at the Oriental Photography School. In 1946, shortly after Korea’s liberation from Japan, he founded the Portrait Photography Research Society of Seoul [Seoul insang sajin yeonguhoe] along with Kim Gwangbae, Park Pilho, Lim Sukje, and others, and served as president. In 1947, he was dispatched to Ulleungdo and Dokdo Islands on an academic research mission organized by the Joseon Mountaineering Club and sponsored by the Ministry of Education, where he photographed the landscapes of Ulleungdo and Dokdo with Choi Kyebok. Starting with his third solo exhibition held in 1956 at Dong Hwa Gallery in Seoul, Hyun immersed himself in the possibilities of photography as an art form and captured ordinary objects and scenes of everyday life with a personal and lyrical approach. In particular, his photographs capture simple things in daily life, including a clock, calendar, ashtray, and a pack of spools, from a contemplative point of view and express them in a neat black-and-white photographic language. His last solo exhibition was held in 1972. After his death, in April 1984, the photographer Joo Myungduck, the photography researcher Choi Injin, and others held an exhibition of posthumous photographs by Hyun Ilyeong at Hanmadang Gallery in Junghak-dong, Seoul. Sigak Publishing published Hyun Ilyeong: 1903–1975, a collection of his posthumous photographs.

Four Artists Exhibition

An exhibition held at the Eastern Cultural Center from May 16 to May 25, 1956. The featured artists—Kim Younghwan, Kim Chungsun, Moon Woosik, and Park Seo-Bo—were alumni of Hongik University. Together protesting in front of the show itself, they declared their opposition to the National Art Exhibition (Gukjeon). The Korean art community of the day, which centered around the National Art Exhibition, imitated the manner of Japanese Academicism, and their declaration was the result of these younger artists’ resistance to this practice. They opposed the realist focus espoused within the National Art Exhibition and influenced the founding of the Modern Art Association, the Hyundae Fine Artists Association, the Creative Art Association [Changjak misul hyeopoe], Sinjohyeongpa, and the Paek Yang Painting Association.

Bando Gallery

Korea’s first commercial gallery, which opened on the first floor of Bando Hotel in 1956. The interest of the wives of foreign dignitaries and businessmen led the establishment of the gallery, which was characterized by its joint establishment and management by both the government and the private sector. After the key managers returned to their countries of origin in 1957, the gallery operated with the support of the Asia foundation. In 1959, artist Lee Daiwon took over as manager, and the gallery developed into the only permanent exhibition space in Seoul. The emergence of numerous commercial galleries in Insa-dong during the 1970s resulted in the closure of Bando Gallery.

Baeku Association

Baeku Association [Baeguhoe] was an organization founded in July 1955 by artists who graduated from the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts (Teikoku bijutsuin bijutsu tenranka) in Japan. With Kim Man-hyeong, Lee Qoede, Chu Kyung, Hong Ilpyo, and others as leading figures, the association was formed to succeed the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts Alumni Exhibition from 1942, promote friendship among alumni, and present their works. At the time of its founding, the representative members were Chu Kyung, Kim Won, Byeon Huicheon, and Chang Ucchin. Thirty-two artists including Lee Yootae and Kim Hwakyung joined the association. In November 1955, the First Baeku Association Exhibition was held at Deoksugung Museum of Art. Until the fifth edition, the member exhibition was held every year, but from the sixth edition, it was held every other year. The number of members of the Baeku Association grew steadily, reaching forty-two by 1963. However, the cohesion of the members gradually weakened, leading to the discontinuation of the association with the eighth exhibition in 1965 as the final edition.

Yun Hyojoong

Yun Hyojoong (1917-1967, pen name Buljae) was born in Jangdan, Gyeonggi-do. He learned sculpture from Kim Bokjin and graduated from the department of sculpture at Tokyo School of Fine Arts. In the 1940s, his work Purification was selected for the 2600th Anniversary Celebration Art Exhibition and The Earth was selected for the Joseon Art Exhibition [Joseon misul jeollamhoe]. His pro-Japanese works, such as Senninbari (1943) and Sound of the Bow String (1944), won special prizes at the Joseon Art Exhibition. In 1945, he became a founding member of the Association of Joseon Sculpture and an associate professor at the newly established department of sculpture at Hongik University in 1949. In organisational rather than creative terms he significantly contributed to the development of post-war Korean art as an administrator and educator by serving as a vice chairman of the Great Korean Art Association. His early works were mainly wooden body statues based on realism. He created the Admiral Yi Sun-sin Statue in Jinhae city where Naval Base Command located during the Korean war. In the 1950s, he actively participated in the National Art Exhibition (Gukjeon), and mainly focused on the creation of statues of political figures, such as the Min Yeonghwan Statue and the Syngman Rhee Statue. He is recognised as a sculptor who combined local materials with modern formal influences, and his works are defined by qualities such as precise proportion, dynamic movement, and sophisticated technique.

Korean Artists Association

An artist association formed in 1955. The core of the association comprised faculty members of the Seoul National University College of Fine Arts. The election of Ko Huidong as the chairman of the Great Korean Art Association (Daehan misul hyeophoe) despite his failure to win the majority vote led the supporters of Chang Louis Pal to leave the association and form the Korea Artists Association. Chang Louis Pal, the first chair, created the photography division, which was absent from the Great Korean Art Association Exhibition, and the architecture division. He also reinstituted the calligraphy division, which had been closed. At the time of establishment, the stated ideology of the association was four-fold: to develop and improve national culture through progressive ideology; to maintain purity of attitude toward the creation and the presentation of art; to actively support the work of new generations; and to achieve, without delay international partnerships with other artists groups and organizations around the world. In 1961, the association was merged into the Korean Fine Arts Association alongside the Great Korean Art Association due to the government policy of consolidating art organizations.

Great Korean Art Association

An art association that formed in 1948, when the Korean Art Association [Joseon misul hyeophoe], which was established in 1945, reformed in parallel with the establishment of the new Korean government. Following independence, the organization reformed and expanded primarily to foster solidarity and anti-communist sentiment in artists, and held the inaugural Great Korean Art Association Exhibition. In June 1961, the association closed officially with the government's comprehensive art institute reformation policy, and in December that year, the association merged into the Korean Fine Arts Association [Hanguk misul hyeopoe].

National Art Exhibition

A government-hosted exhibition held 30 times from 1949 to 1981, also known by the shorter name Gukjeon. Following national independence, the exhibition was the primary means for young and emergent Korean artists to achieve recognition. The influence of the exhibition declined as a result of the emergence of non-figurative art during the 1970s, the increased opportunities for artists to participate in overseas exhibitions, and the rise of private exhibitions and galleries.

Modern Watercolor Association

The Modern Watercolor Association (Hyeondae suchaehwa hyeophoe) is an art organization founded in November 1956 by nine artists specialized in watercolor painting. Its inaugural exhibition was held at Dong Hwa Gallery in Seoul from November 17 to 27 in the same year. The founding members were Ko Whahum, Ryu Kyungchai, Lee Kyonghee, Lee Kyuho, Lee Chongmoo, Lee Joon, Yim Jiksoon, Chang Reesuok, and Choi Dukhyu. The association was established by mid-career painters in their thirties and forties with the aim of expanding the popularity of watercolor painting to make it more accessible to the general public, but it did not last long. It was criticized for the strong tendency toward fraternization among its members. It was also pointed out that only two founding members, Ko Whahum and Lee Kyonghee, who won a special prize for her watercolor Pohang Pier at the first National Art Exhibition (Gukjeon) in 1949, had an identity as a watercolorist. Nonetheless, their activities led to the Korean Society of Watercolor Artists, which sought to develop the distinctiveness and diversity of watercolor. The Korean Society of Watercolor Artists was formed in 1984 under the leadership of Lee Chongmoo, Yim Jiksoon, and Choi Dukhyu. Other established painters joined the society, including Kim Tai, Park Kitae, Park Soukho, Bae Dongshin, Shim Chookcha, An Jaehu, Yun Geoncheol, Lee Dooshik, Lee Suchang, Chun Sangsoo, Choo Yenkeun, and Choe Gyeonghan.

Korean Art Critics Association

Korean Art Critics Association is an organization founded by art critics in 1956. The founding members include; Choi Sunu, Lee Hangsung, Lee Kyungsung, Chung Kyu, Bang Geun-taek, Bae Gilgi, Chun Seung-bok, Kim Byungki, Kim Youngki, Kim Chung-up, and Kim Youngjoo. Lee Yil, a subsequent president of the group, established the quarterly art magazine Korean Journal of Art Criticism in 1986, and created the Korean Art Critics Association Award in 2009. Through this platform, the association continues to support artists and art writers.

Hyundae Fine Artists Association

An art organization formed in 1957 under the leadership of Moon Woosik, Kim Younghwan, Kim Tschang-Yeul, Jang Seong-soon, Lee Cheol, Ha Indoo, Kim Jonghwi, and Kim Cheonggwan. The association held its inaugural exhibition at the United States Information Service gallery from May 1 to 9 in 1957. As part of a new generation of artists who received university education after independence, the members chose the pursuit of the “antithesis of feudal elements that hinder the development of culture” as the task of the association, and they stated the founding purpose of the association as being to achieve “communion with the highbrow universal consciousness that is oriented toward contemporary art.” In the third exhibition, which was in 1958, the association featured Informel art, which heralded the beginning of an era of Informel in Korean art. In 1961, the association held a joint exhibition with the 1960s Artists Association, and in 1962, the two organizations merged to form Actuel.