1980년대 한국사회와 민중미술 - 대중소비사회의 시각이미지와 비판적 리얼리즘의 재고

최태만,Choi, Tae-Man 한국미술이론학회 2009 미술이론과 현장 Vol.7 No.-

This paper intends to examine the significance of the "Minjoong Misool(People's art)" of the 1980s emerged in Korea in its social, cultural, and art historical context. This paper also aims to provide an analysis of the meaning and form of the individual artist's works, which have been overlooked under the dominant discourse that has emphasized their political role as a collective group. In particular, this paper scrutinizes the work of "Critical Realists" by examining the way in which they perceived Korean society in the early 1980s and visualized their experiences of the period. The figurative art newly emerged in the early 1980s challenged the formalist Modernism, which was adopted into Korea and translated into monochrome paintings and the work of the conversative academicism of the 1970s. The figurative art encouraged a social communication and moreover it intended to criticize the conflicts in the political, economical, and social domains in Korea. The targets of its critique include the unavoidable results of the unprecedented development of economy, various social phenomena of the post-industrial society, and the growth of the commercialized kitsch culture. Along with Shin, Hak-chul's work that incorporates collage technique since the 1980s, the work of some members of "Reality and Utterance" and "Im- sul-nyun" exemplify their critical interests in disclosing the false dream of wealth and happiness by both referring to and drawing on the utopian fantasy manipulated and distributed by mass media and commercial advertisements. This paper pays particular attention to Nouvelle Figuration emerged in France and Europe during the 1960s, which is comparable to the new figurative art emerged in Korea during the 1980s. Nouvelle Figuration criticized the autonomy in art isolated itself from political and social reality after WWII, in particular the indifference of Informel and abstract art as well as American abstract art. Moreover it became rather politicized around May of 1968. Given that French Nouvelle Figuration was introduced in Korea in 1982 and made a significant contribution to the formation of figurative art in Korea, it should be noted that the new figurative art emerged in the 1980s in Korea cannot be categorized merely in relation to People's Art. This paper intends to critically redress the notion that People's art was formed in the particular political, economical, and cultural context of Korea independent of the contemporary artistic practices outside Korea. It will provide a critical examination and analysis of the content and form of the new figurative art, from which People's Art was germinated, in the global context.

미술비평의 효용성에 대해 다시 묻는다 : 아서 단토의 ‘미술종말론’에 대한 비평적 독서

최태만(Choi Tae Man) 현대미술학회 2006 현대미술학 논문집 Vol.10 No.-

'The End of Art' written by Arthur Danto has caused diverse discourses on the definition of art as well as the use and abuse of art criticism. He proposes that, since Andy Warhol presented his quasi ready-made objects 'Brillo Box' in 1964, contemporary art has been confronted with the end of art. It means not the crucial end of art itself but the end of a narrative insisted by Clement Greenberg, that is, the end of the modernist narrative. In fact, since Marcel Duchamp introduced the ready-made, the notion of art has been deconstructed. Insertion of non-art materials in art started to be proliferated. Moreover, Joseph Beuys manifested that 'Everyone can be artist', and Andy Warhol's Brillo Box also generated disputation about what is art. According to Danto, in Brillo Box, the long tradition of mimesis in art cannot be established, so it pronounced 'the end of art' . Because contemporary art is professional and self-defined, it has to do with philosophy. He said, after Warhol's Brillo Box, the history of art also reached the point where it had to tum into its own philosophy. Therefore, contemporary artworks need to gam assistance from philosophy, and this condition allowed plural possibilities. Dance's approval of pluralism and recognition of equality in art provides a new vision against old conventions which were produced and commonly enforced by art history and criticism in the modern era. In this article, I raise a question that his contention, on the one hand, can evoke abuse of art criticism. On the other hand, it can stimulate non-necessity of criticism. He argues that artwork is faced with every possibility without any norms. Though, his theory on the end of art is not supported by precise evidences except Brillo Box. In conclusion, I propose that the necessity of art criticism should be still efficient, even though it belongs to the art world as an institution, for the interpretation and evaluation of art. Philosophy is not the only one resource but an applicable means for art criticism. Art criticism is not merely based on the philosophical approach but also might be influenced from other institutional systems including education, journalism, gallery, museum, market, etc.

1950년대 이경성의 미술비평관

최태만(Choi Tae Man) 한국근현대미술사학회 2011 한국근현대미술사학 Vol.22 No.-

The purpose of this paper is to reassess the contribution of Lee Kyung-sung as art critic who became active since 1953, focusing on his criticism published in the 1950s. Although some artists also wrote criticism on artwork, Lee was the only professional art critic during the decade. Despite harsh milieu, he developed his own critical viewpoint while writing reviews on exhibitions, in which he claimed that Korean artists should seek reality and modernity in their artworks for the development of Korean art. He was able to publish his criticism in limited venues such as newspapers and magazines. Thus, most of his writings tend to be brief, yet his criticism was severe and pointed. Although his criticism tends to provide evaluations rather than close analyses and profound interpretations about his contemporary art, his criticism published in the 1950s provides important basic information of art and art criticism of the period, which serves significantly in restoring Korean modern art.

자연에 바치는 경의

최태만(Choi Tae-man) 현대건축사 2008 마루 Vol.- No.80

현대 한국미술과 민족주의란 두 개의 얼굴

최태만(Choi, Tae-Man) 한국미술이론학회 2006 미술이론과 현장 Vol.4 No.-

일본 전쟁기록화와 1945년 전후의 후지타 쓰구하루(藤田嗣治)

최태만(Choi Tae-man) 한국근현대미술사학회 2015 한국근현대미술사학 Vol.30 No.-

Fougita Tsuguharu moved to Paris in 1913 after he has graduated from Tokyo Academy of Fine Arts in 1910. Fougita joined cole de Paris and after the World WarⅡ then he became well recognized. His milky colored nude paintings done in the traditional Japanese painting style was shockingly unfamiliar with Parisians and they were exuberated by his eccentric actions. Fougita painted the most war campaign documentary paintings among the Japanese artists after he came back to Japan. Furthermore following the defeat, since Fougita was cooperating with the Japanese military as the president of Japanese Military Art Association, he was caught up in the middle of war responsibility controversy. After the US military occupation in Japan, GHQ classified War Campaign Documentary Paintings as propaganda, not as art paintings and shipped 153 pieces to the United States of America. Initially, GHQ had appointed Fougita to be in charge of collecting these paintings but after these war propaganda campaign documentary paintings became the main controversy in the Japanese art world, Fougita passed on the responsibility to Yamada Shinichi and left to go to the US and then France. Fougita, who was beloved by the Japanese Military for his war campaign documentary paintings during the WWⅡ, purchased diamonds from the money he made by selling paintings to US military officers and their wives. Instead of accepting his war responsibility, he avoids all blame and claims his legitimacy. In 1949, with the aid from the US military, he was left for New York. After one year in New York, he moved to Paris. Fougita became naturalized as a French citizen and ended his life in a hospital in Switzerland in 1968. From the facts above, Fougita’s war campaign documentary paintings were the result of his ambition of success, not just an outcome of Japanese military’s order. The reason he wanted to escape from Japan after the WWⅡ was to recreate his success which he already had in Paris earlier his life. In conclusion, the paintings show us what Fougita’s consciousness was like the horrendous war scenes of his paintings show that he considered war as a mere theatrical experience and bloody slaughter as a spectacle.

이응노의 조각에 있어서 숭고의 문제

최태만(Tae-Man Choi) 이응노미술관 2001 고암논총 Vol.1 No.-

정광식의 풍경조각

최태만(Choi Tae-man),안정원 현대건축사 2009 (월간)Maru Vol.- No.84

류인 작품의 격정성과 추상충동 재고

최태만(Choi Tae Man) 인물미술사학회 2019 인물미술사학 Vol.- No.14·15

류인의 작품은 모두 근육이 강조된 남성의 육체를 재현하고 있으나 건강하고 완전한 신체라기보다 변형, 왜곡, 과장되거나 뒤틀리고 절단된 상태를 보여주면서 표정 대신 손을 통해 주제를 전달하는 특징이 강하다. 이러한 파토스적인 국면은 문학적인 제목과 함께 그의 작품을 서사적 구조로 이끄는 요소이다. 그가 표현하고 있는 그로테스크한 형상은 파괴적이고 공격적인 본성을 가지고 있으면서 동시에 형편없이 무기력하고 나약한 존재이지만 사고와 성찰을 통해 자아를 갱신할 수 있는 존재로서의 우리 자신의 초상이다. 그래서 지금까지 발표된 류인의 조각에 대한 연구는 대체로 인본주의와 실존주의에 초점을 맞춘 것이었다. 그러나 내가 류인의 조각을 관찰하며 발견한 것은 유동성과 불완전함이며, 그것을 압축하는 것이 ‘격정성’이다. 이런 점에 착안하여 나는 류인의 작품을 해석하기 위해 매너리즘과 바로크에 나타나는 정신주의와 격정성에 주목하고자 한다. 덧붙여 그의 작품에서 두드러진 격앙된 정서가 만들어낸 불편하면서도 불안한 형태의 뿌리를 보링거(Wilhelm Worringer)의 ‘추상충동’에서 츶고자 한다. 특히 하체를 지워버린 형태에서 예술가였던 아버지로 향한 오이디푸스 콤플렉스를 발견할 수 있음도 주목하고자 한다. 나의 이러한 시도는 류인의 작품에 대한 새로운 접근이자 그의 작품을 해석하는 또 하나의 지평을 여는 기회를 제공할 것이다. Ryu In’s sculpture represents human body, particularly focused on the body of male whose muscles are emphasized. Despite his work showing the state of deformation, distortion, exaggeration and cutting rather than healthy and perfect body, it has a strong characteristic of conveying themes through hands instead of facial expressions. This phase of pathos, along with the literary title, is the element that leads his work to the narrative structure. The grotesque image he expresses is a human bondage lived in contemporary society as well as our own portrait as a being who has a destructive and offensive natures and at the same time a poorly helpless and weak, nevertheless, who can renewal of self esteem through thought and reflection. In this reason, most of essays on Ryu In’s sculptures so far focused on humanism and existentialism. However, what I discovered while observing Ryu In’s sculpture is fluidity and imperfection, and the concept of compressing it is ‘passion’. With this in mind, in order to present new interpretation of his work, I would like to pay attention to spiritualism and passion appearing in mannerism and baroque art. In addition, I want to find the roots of the uncomfortable and insecure form created by the violent emotions prominent in his work in the ‘abstract impulse’ of Wilhelm Worringer. In particular, this paper attempts to clarify the reason why he erased the lower body in connection with the Oedipus complex towards his father who was a prominent artist in Korean abstract painting. This attempt will provide a new approach to Ryu In’s work and an opportunity to open another aspect to interpret his work.

정광식의 풍경조각

최태만(Choi Tae-man),안정원 현대건축사 2009 마루 Vol.- No.84