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Title Proposing eight emotions dreaming of happiness/ Yunsub, Kim (director …
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Planning and subject of regular exhibition of 2020 Woman’s Association of Korean Painting


Proposing eight emotions dreaming of happiness

 


Written by_Yunsub, Kim (director of aif Art Management Institute, doctor of art history)

 

 

 

“Korean female painters who were restricted to women’s quarters due to social constraint and restraint broke from the convention thanks to desperate efforts by predecessors and now we, the younger generation make a contribution to development of Korean paintings and Korean art culture playing a central role.”

Above is a part of declaration by <Woman’s Association of Korean Painting > founded on December 27, 1999. As the name of above association suggests, Woman’s Association of Korean Painting is historical organization representing female painters specializing in Korean paintings. Since its foundation, Woman’s Association of Korean Painting has held regular exhibitions at home and abroad, various academic seminars and charity events. At least a hundred and at most two hundred female painters participated in each event held by Woman’s Association of Korean Painting. I think the fact that Korean female painters ranging from young painters aged 20s to old painters aged 80s endeavored for communication between generations through paintings in one place played a considerable role in laying foundation for development of Korean art culture.  

For upcoming twenty first regular exhibition of <2020 Woman’s Association of Korean Painting >, one hundred and seventy brilliant female painters hold hands each other. Every one of above mentioned one hundred and seventy brilliant female painters is invaluable subject invigorating Korean art world. Artworks created by afore mentioned painters showing respective unique emotion attract eyes of viewers except for a common feature, namely Korean painting genre. There are lots of artworks in which contrasting concepts such as tradition versus modern, following old tradition versus experiment, release versus moderation keep a good balance and harmony in this exhibition. Interpreting artworks with the same subject from unconventional viewpoint and emotion due to different age ranges and regional connections arouses an interest.

Subject of regular exhibition of upcoming  <2020 Woman’s Association of Korean Painting> is eight scenes of happiness and subtitle is ‘proposing eight emotions dreaming of happiness’. Eight scenes mean exceptionally beautiful eight views in a specific area. This also means that all directions in such area are beautiful. This is because we propose ‘eight scenes of happiness’ as subject and exhibition title of  <2020 Woman’s Association of Korean Painting>. Emotions of one hundred and seventy artists who participate in this event and various aesthetic discourse and depth of artworks are a source of creating eight scenes of happiness. This event will play a role as a place where we can feel that paintings can give us positive and happy energy.

Moment that we can encounter with happiness in everyday life occur in very diverse times and viewpoints. Such moment varies depending on circumstances, what emotion a person has when he/she is faced with it  and how to accept and interpret it. Artworks created based on emotional experience of each painter with it permeated into canvas will be a key which allows us to find customized happiness. I expect upcoming exhibition to be a place where viewers can meet ‘happiness in life’ thanks to unique emotions and delicacy of female artists.


Fig. ) ratio of representational painting to abstract painting
One hundred and seventy artworks submitted to “eight scenes of happiness” held by <2020 Woman’s Association of Korean Painting> are very diverse in such a degree to represent universal disposition among Korean female painters. I analyzed tendency of artworks submitted to regular exhibition held by <2020 Woman’s Association of Korean Painting>. Ratio of representational paintings to abstract paintings is ‘54%(92 painters) : 46%(78 painters)’ . Abstract paintings include complete abstract paintings, semi abstract paintings, and installation. Above finding shows that members of Woman’s Association of Korean Painting have three dimensional diversity equally.

 

Fig. ) Component ratio according to materials
Next, I examined  ‘component ratio according to materials’. Visual impression which a viewer can feel intuitively when he/she looks at artwork depends on what is main material for expression. It is because first impression depends on whether material is natural scenery, figures or abstract canvas which makes it impossible to guess shape. Material which is covered most among artworks submitted to regular exhibition held by <2020 Woman’s Association of Korean Painting> are   ‘flower&bird’ with 22.4%(38 painters) and ‘semi abstract paintings (scene which reinterpreted basic shape) with obscure shape with 22.4%(38 painters) followed by ’ complete abstract paintings’ with 21.8%(37 painters), ‘landscape(indoor and outdoor)’ with 16.5%(28 painters), ‘figure oriented paintings’ with 7.6%(13 painters), ‘still objects(including objects&four noble plants)’ with 5.3%(9 painters), ‘animal oriented paintings’ with 2.4%(4 painters), ‘installation artwork’ with 1.7%(3 painters) .


Fig. ) classification of production technique & material
When examining artworks submitted to regular exhibition in terms of technique or material, it was revealed that percent of ‘ technique of sukchae&bunchae on jangji’ is highest with 48.2%(82 painters) followed by ‘canvas mixture technique(including collage)’ with 17.7%(30 painters), ‘mixed materials on jangji’ and  ‘Indian ink & thin coloring on Korean paper’ with  12.9%(22 painters) respectively,  ‘painting on silk&cloth’ with 5.9%(10 painters), ‘installation(including digital print)’ with 1.8%(3 painters), and ‘pen on paper’ with 0.6%(1 painter). While approximately eighty percent of members of  <Woman’s Association of Korean Painting> use painting technique or mix various materials, about ten percent use Indian ink(light coloring) technique. Such finding suggests to  us that we need to endeavor to satisfy ‘actual diversity and true representation of  <Woman’s Association of Korean Painting>. 

As examined above, regular exhibition held by <2020 Woman’s Association of Korean Painting> covers diverse materials and techniques. How effectively can we acquire puzzles of happiness in everyday life which is likely to be missed through above mentioned one hundred and seventy artworks? I think level of  completion of “Eight scenes of happiness” put forward as title and subject of exhibition can be enhanced by subtitle of ‘proposing eight emotions dreaming of happiness’. I thought of eight keywords to find ‘happiness’ in this exhibition as ‘family, everyday life, reminiscences, thrill, placidity, harmony, calmness, thinking’ . These can be expanded depending on individual emotion such as everyday life in nature or yearning for reminiscences. It will be good that you will appreciate artworks thinking my artwork falls under which category among above mentiond keywords and my emotional sign as a viewer is more familiar to which keyword.

We planned to hold ‘meeting with artists’ through which viewers can talk with artists about motif or production process in regular exhibition held by <2020 Woman’s Association of Korean Painting> several times at first. We also planned to publish digital essay which is made out of discourses centering around several ‘happiness keywords’ such as family, nature and reminiscences along with pictures. However, regrettably, due to COVID 19, it became difficult to put above mentioned plan into practice. It is necessary to find an additional alternative .
 
We will hold emotion oriented seminar (October 7 at 4pm) as scheduled. Subject of the seminar is  “Happiness, Stands Its Starting Point”. The seminar will be an art talk through which artists and viewers can talk about ‘conditions of happiness in everyday life’ comfortably even though its form is similar to ordinary academic seminar. The purpose of this exhibition is to provide an opportunity through which we feel true value of small happiness by looking back on small everyday life solving puzzles in life living as member of society, wife, parent, woman and female painter. I give a huge ovation to progressive walking of <Woman’s Association of Korean Painting> that continued to held regular exhibitions, special exhibitions, academic seminar and various art projects.