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As compared to high-brow art forms, the
ethnic customs, arts and crafts and indigenous architecture reveal more about
the cultural essence of a people that has been handed down through the ages.
This can be attributed to their more direct contact with people's everyday
lives, with ceramics in particular being of great significance. From the
earthenware of the Stone Age to today's porcelain, the ceramic art of each
distinct time period represents a condensed sense of the aesthetics and
community spirit of the times, much like an era's genetic fingerprint.
The sensibilities of modern people have been rent asunder in many regards.
Scientific advances have seriously damaged our natural environment, thus
necessitating its restoration and protection by all possible means in this
respect, it is encouraging that many artists in Korea are now turning to a reinterpretation
of traditional ceramic wares as part of the answer. Although Korea's ceramic arts can be classified into
several distinct categories, they are all fundamentally grounded in a
philosophy involving a universal naturalism. This is why traditional ceramic
wares, reinterpreted and transformed to suit contemporary tastes, both directly
and indirectly help to bring us closer to nature. At a time when lifestyles and
methods of expression are undergoing radical changes, the use, appreciation and
respect for traditional ceramics in our daily life symbolizes an understanding
of the ideals, wisdom and emotions of ancient Koreans, while also recreating
new forms of wisdom and refinement Korean culture is essentially
future-oriented and optimistic, while never existing apart from nature and
human beings.
For these reasons, this article spotlights several prominent ceramic artists
and an extraordinary kiln involved with perpetuating the centuries-old
traditions and spirit of Korea's ceramic culture.
Korea's traditional ceramic wares, such as ch'ongja, the
greenish-blue celadon of the Koryo Dynasty (918-1392), paekcha, the white
porcelain of the Choson Dynasty (1392-1910), and punch'ong, a ceramic ware with
an overall white slip decoration, are today highly acclaimed throughout the
world. Moreover, they serve, as a barometer for understanding Korean culture in
that they most accurately reflect Korean aesthetics and their worldview
outlook. Among the various ceramic types, punch'ong perhaps best portrays the
characteristics of the Korean people and their sense of aesthetics. The
following is an introduction to Korean artists who have molded their own world
of punch'ong.
Reinterpreting the Essence of Punch'ong
Compared to the aristocratic elegance of Koryo celadon or the austerity of
Choson white porcelain, punch'ong embodies the underlying, traits and
sentiments of commoners. It is notably dynamic and richly humorous, while
exuding a freedom and naturalness that blurs the line between art work and
frivolity. Consequently, punch'ong continues to enamor the Koreans of today,
just as it had been beloved by the people of the Choson Dynasty. Actually,
people today admire nature and natural qualities more than ever in the turmoil
brought about by industrialization. Punch'ong has been long cherished for its
distinctive artistry and aesthetics, while the characteristics of modern
society provide even greater appeal for its current popularity. Many artists
are now rediscovering the essence of punch'ong, as its diversity is being
further enriched based on the unique personality of each artist. Today, unlike
in the past, a number of premier artists have dedicated themselves to the
creation of punch'ong. Each artist produces punch'ong with distinct features,
making no attempt for concealment or metaphors based on anonymity, while freely
reinterpreting the core essence of punch'ong and its unique formative qualities
in his or her own way. Among the various artists engaged in the production of
punch'ong, the most active are young artisans in their twenties and thirties.
However, three somewhat older artists stand out for their noteworthy
contributions to the modernization of punch'ong: Shin Sang-ho, Yun Kang-jo and
Yi Su-jong. There are, of course, many other artists ¡®who have exclusively
specialized in punch'ong as well, including Kim Yong-yun, Yi Chong-do, Yi
Kang-hyo, and Han Pong-rim. The three artists, however, are widely known and
have actively exhibited their works overseas to favorable reviews. Without a
doubt, the long-time exploration of and experimentation with punch'ong by these
three artists, who are in their early- and mid-fifties, have sparked a revival
of punch'ong to such an extent that it now commands an important place in
contemporary ceramic art.
Shin Sang-ho
Shin sang-ho boasts a career that is second to none in his range and depth of
experience with ceramics. Long devoted to researching traditional ch'ongja, Shin
has acquired vast knowledge and skills in the production of punch'ong, while
leaving an indelible mark on the history of Korea's contemporary ceramic art. His heavily
experimental and dynamic work of the early 1980s provided a radical and
shocking departure in contemporary ceramic art. His punch'ong works can perhaps
best be described by saying that they have attaind a certain state. They reveal
the same free flowing lines that are at ease with the nature of ordinary
punch'ong, and yet they possess a unique elegance and refinement which
ingeniously harmonize with its dark gray background, while at the same time
being profoundly liberal.
Simultaneously conveying a solemn and charismatic elegance as well as the
vitality and expressive elements unique to punch'ong is like chasing after two
rabbits with one stone. Nevertheless, Shin somehow merges such seemingly
contradictory elements. The shapes of his works are somewhat rough and coarse,
but produce a refined negative image with the white slip created on a uniform
surface through inlaying techniques. Uniform is perhaps not an apt description,
as the surface of his works seems to have apparitions floating through the
darkness of a void. The lines and white flower patterns often trigger an
indescribably mysterious sensation. The sharp contrast of powerful tones and
the profound depth of empty space are characteristic of Shin's work. With the
spirit of a true artisan, he does not hesitate to fire his works at high
temperatures, even three times, in order to obtain the desired effect.
Punch'ong is known for its humorous nature, an aspect that can be confirmed
afresh in the works of Shin. Aside from diverse types of tableware, he also
creates punnch'ong animal sculptures. Such endeavors have earned him much recognition
for his bold imagination and expressive techniques. His declaration that his
works come about accidentally, without his intentionally setting out to create
a specific form, also attests to his basic approach of acquiescing to the flow
of nature.
Yoon Kwang-jo
Aside from creating outstanding works of art, Yoon Kwang-jo has played an
instrumental role in expanding the public's awareness of punch'ong. He is about
the same age as Shin and also has extensive experience. He works in a studio in
a remote area where he lives practically as a recluse, and yet he is frequently
mentioned in the press, proof of his considerable popularity. It is easy to
understand why he is known as the "wandering minstrel" of clay when
one sees his works.
Yoon's works, most of which are decorated with designs resembling graffiti,
marvelously portray the earthiness unique to punch'ong. None of his works shows
signs of detailed advance preparation. Yoon creates a dynamic world of art with
his hands that move as if they are possessed, following impulsive inspirations.
When he is molding clay or inscribing images or flower patterns, he does so
with the speed of flowing water and spontaneous flair, almost as if his
expressions resulted from instinctive reflexes. However, the images on his
punch'ong are unexpectedly restrained and abstract. For today's society
dominated by myriad mechanisms, his liberal yet solemn exploration and pursuit
of punch'ong offer much in the form of a profound solace and comfort.
Yi Su-jong
Yi Su-jong's career is as illustrious as that of Yun and Shin in the scope of
his work various forms of clay. Early in his career, Yi earnestly studied the
beauty inherent only to day itself. It is interesting that he values the
physical quality of the clay with a highly restrained sense of aesthetics. It
is well known that Yi discovered and refined the ancient organic characterics
of clay arid its inherent appeal by creating huge ceramics sculptures. A
liberal mind-set and a cease less flow of creative energy have enabled him to
remain a genuine practitioner of artistic freedom. The forms and texture of his
works are rough and intense, and thus extremely difficult for others to
emulate. The call of the wild can be easily perceived in his works of diverse
forms.
The coarse, rugged images decorating his ceramic works reflect a mature
pictorial beauty that allows one to gauge the mature of the freedom he pursues.
The bold lines, which well complement the fundamental qualities of clay,
poignantly depict order amid chaos. Among the tangled fragments of emotions
cascading like a waterfall, his ideal crystallizes as his concentration
intensifies. The artist's total freedom allows the ceramic images of his
creation to radiate even more brilliantly.
The Park Young-sook Kiln
The park Young-sook Kiln is one of the most important and renowned ceramic
kilns in Korea, where the nation's traditional ceramic
wares have been successfully re-created and further developed. After the
successful re-creation of paekcha and punch'ong, the kiln also modernized these
forms to match today's preferences. The ceramics produced by this kiln have
contributed greatly to making traditional ceramics one of Korea's key culture products. The kiln only
produces works by the most demanding of professional artisans, which thus
vividly highlights the value of genuine handiworks
Insa-dong received international exposure when Queen Elizabeth II looked around
the street famous for antique shops in April 1999 during her state visit to Korea. To the envy of many, the Queen stopped
at a ceramic shop operated by the Park Young-sook Kiln. Park Young-sook, for
whom the kiln is named, has devoted much of her life to re-creating the pure
white paekcha used by the royal court of the Choson Dynasty, and finally succeeded
in creating paekcha which conforms to contemporary aesthetics. One does not
realize there can be so many different shades of white until one sees the
dazzling pure white mat almost hurts the eye.
Paekcha symbolically represents the Choson Dynasty's resolve to adopt
Confucianism as its nationwide code of ethics. The concise forms and pure white
color of paekcha are meant to signify purity, restraint and contemplation. Such
ceramic art is thought to be the ultimate validation, of Koreans' highly developed
aesthetics and sensibilities. The superior quality of paekcha, as compared to
other renowned ceramic wares, is globally recognized today. Japan's annexation of Korea, which ended the Choson Dynasty,
resulted in the closure of the official kilns used exclusively for the
production of ceramics for the royal court, causing paekcha to lose its former
luster. Many ceramic artists have sought to revive paekcha, but in most cases
ended up with inferior copies, mere reproductions of earlier examples. Painstaking
research and experimentation as well as an artistic creativity to adapt the
re-created pieces to today's lifestyle and aesthetics are required to produce
genuine paekcha. Park Young-sook is one who has managed to do so.
Park and her kiln have replicated the essence of me trademark white unique to
paekcha after more man 20 years of trial and error and extensive research. At
Park's studio and kiln in Songnam, south of Seoul, mainly tableware items are produced,
such as dishes, teacups, and containers as well as hap, bowls with a lid-the
necessary pieces for creating a refined and elegant table setting. Their
shapes, harmonizing the elegant and dynamic lines unique to Korea along with modern geometric forms,
embody not only a functional efficiency but me wisdom gained from life's
experiences. The pictorial patterns done in cobalt blue on pure white portray a
purity suggestive of a crystal-clear fall sky and indigo-blue sea, capable of
stirring the hearts of even me most casual viewers.
Park Young-soak has dedicated herself to creating ceramics with a conviction
that Korea must have its own tableware that at not only manifest me
spirit and beauty of the times but also preserve the unique traditions of
ch'ongja and paekcha. Park's workplace has now become a classic kiln highly
recognized and respected by the world for having revived me traditions of royal
ceramic wares.
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