In the 50 years since liberation, Korean crafts have experienced significant changes as they passed over the threshold to the modern world. In
the 1950s, university crafts departments were established amid the rubble of
the Korean War. These new departments naturally took their place within general
arts departments which were organized around painting and sculpture. Traditionally,
Korean crafts had developed within a teacher/disciple relationship, but as crafts
entered universities, scholars of traditional crafts began to provide systematic
education that reflected the major trends of modern craftsmanship.
Modern art studies from this era were based on Western aesthetic values introduced via Japan and Japanese artistic trends. This alienation from traditional Korean artistic values largely resulted from the misconception that "Western" was synonymous with "Modern." With the introduction of industrial design in the 1950s, handicrafts' social role was reduced. The era is characterized by the creation of a national
crafts department, the founding of various organizations devoted to traditional
crafts and an increase in popularity of special regional goods. In particular,
the struggle between leftist and rightist political factions splintered the
native crafts movement into over ten distinct craft organizations.
Leading figures of the national exhibition, initially known as the Seonjeon
during the Japanese rule and Gukjeon after liberation, include woodwork
craftsmen Kim Jin-gap, Kang Chang-gyu and Jang Gi-myeong, stoneworkers Yi Sun-seok
and potters such as Kim Jae-seok.
The 1960s saw the development of a number of important galleries such as The
Design Center, Korea Industrial Art Exhibition and National Contemporary Art
Museum. During this era, there were numerous foreign exhibitions and international
exchanges and thus the era is characterized by the rapid expansion of Korean
craft production. Each year, there were about 10 private and group exhibitions
and around 10 new craft organizations were formed.
One of the most important developments during this decade was the gradual reemergence
of metalcraft and pottery from the stagnation of the previous decade. This renewed
interest was stimulated by increased information on Western crafts. During the
1970s, there was a new interest in all aspects of traditional Korean culture.
Systematic efforts were made to preserve and develop traditional crafts, many
of which had previously been on the verge of disappearing in the wake of modernization.
In order to preserve traditional knowledge, the government gave talented artisans
official support, designating them as "Important Intangible Cultural Treasures"
or "Human Cultural Treasures." Around this time, the mother-of-pearl artist
Kim Bong-nyong and lacquerware artist Kang Chang-gyu both established galleries
for traditional works. Another important development during the 1970s was the
creation of private crafts exhibitions at galleries. This stemmed from attempts
to incorporate traditional crafts into the formative arts. Pottery was a leading
force behind this movement.
Influenced by American and Japanese pottery, Korean potters began to experiment
with non-functional pottery forms. This purely formal emphasis had entered the
mainstream by the late 1980s. Since the 1980s, formalism has become a leading
influence on Korean craftwork. Initially, there were a few textile and pottery
craftsmen experimenting with formal works, but by the late 1980s, the trend
has swept through every traditional genre. In addition to individual artists,
universities were influenced by this trend, leading to the development of curriculums
teaching the techniques and theory behind formal art. Yet, as interest turned
towards purely formal works, there was less interest in making traditional crafts
for practical, everyday use.
From the mid-1980s to around 1990, on the other hand, various artists and groups
began to express an interest in a revival of works more suitable for everyday
life. In the mid-1980s, college craft majors established small studios where
they produced and supplied everyday items appealing to a wide spectrum of society.
In the 1990s, exhibitions began to appear in which the theme was practical.
This new trend had a significant effect on artists preoccupied with solely formalistic
works. In the 1980s this movement was chiefly centered around young artists
in training, but by the 1990s, the movement had matured, with many prominent
artists joining its ranks.
As it comes to the late 1990s, the purely formalistic movement seems to be faltering,
while the movement towards practical crafts seems to be gaining wide support
from consumers and cultural circles. |