The Fifth Imsulnyeon, Leaflet, 1986, MMCA Art Research Center Collection, Gift of Choi Youl
Imsulnyeon
* Source: MMCA
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Hyperrealism
A genre of art that depicts objects and forms in a “hyperrealistic” manner. The Hyperrealist artists often use a precise painting technique to echo the detail of photographic images. Through this painstaking painterly process of creation, which is fundamentally different from the automatic and immediate process of photography, hyperrealist artists aim to evoke the effect of unexpected shock in the viewer. In Korea, the trend of hyperrealistic expression was prominent from the late 1970s and the mid-1980s onward. This was known as Korean hyperrealism. The artists that belonged to this movement, however, rejected the label on the basis that their work existed outside and was different to the Western hyperrealist tradition. Therefore the term neo-figurative painting, suggested by theorists, has been frequently used to describe their work. This hyperrealistic painting movement is sometimes considered as a direct antecedent to the concern with figuration that proliferated within Korean art after the 1980s.
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Gyegan Misool
An art magazine first published in 1976 by the publishing arm of JoongAng Ilbo. Until 1988, the magazine was published on a quarterly basis. Then, from January 1989, the magazine has been published on a monthly basis, and the title was changed to Wolgan Misool. Wolgan Misool Co., Ltd. was established in 1997, and it publishes Wolgan misool to the present day. Of the numerous art magazines created during the mid-to-late 1970s, a growth period for the art market, Wolgan Misool boasted the strongest finances and longevity, and it heavily influenced the production and consumption of Korean art. Prominent critics, art historians, and writers all wrote for the magazine, including You Hongjune, Youn Bummo, Lee Youngchul, Ahn Kyuchul, Lee Tae-ho, and Kim Boggi. Starting with Chusa Kim Jeonghui in 1985, Gyegan Misool published a series of 24 art catalogues titled The Aesthetics of Korea, which was the first compilation of Korean antique art and relics.
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Minjung Art
An artistic movement that came to prominence alongside Korea’s democratization movement in the 1980s. Minjung artists often sought to critically portray the violent repression and corruption of the military dictatorship, to represent the experiences of laborers and farmers, and to achieve social change through art. In contrast to abstraction, which constituted the mainstream of 1970s art in Korea, Minjung Art is notable for the use of representational and figurative forms. One possible point of origin for Minjung Art is Oh Yoon’s work in the Reality Group (Hyeonsil dongin). The group was formed in 1969 by Kim Ji-ha, Oh Yoon, and Lim Se-taek. A variety of Minjung art groups were established, including the Reality and Utterance (Hyunsilgwa bareon) in 1979 by Kim Jungheun, Oh Yoon, Joo Jae-hwan, art critic Sung Wan-kyung, and Choi Min, the Gwangju Freedom Artist Association (Gwangju jayu misulin hyeopuihoe) in 1979 by Hong Sungdam and Choi Youl, the Imsulnyeon (The Year Imsul) in 1982, and the Dureong in 1983. These groups all commonly critiqued Western capitalism. In terms of form, Minjung artists adopted traditional and ethnic folk modes of expression using diverse media such as collage, printmaking, oil painting, and photography. Following the 15 Years of Korean Minjoong Arts: 1980-1994 Exhibition at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Minjung Art became an accepted part of Korean art history. Overseas, Minjung Art has also become a recognized term that describes this genre and its unique focus on the political and social history of Korea.
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Young Minds
Young Minds was a special exhibition organized from 1982 through 1987 by artists in small groups who were active in the 1980s with the goal of showcasing the new aesthetics of the younger generation. The Young Minds [Jeolmeun uisik], which was also the title of its exhibition, had the character of a small group, but it was more of a curated exhibition. Young Minds originated from young artists’ reflections and awareness of the reality of the military regime in the early 1980s, the rapid transition to a capitalist society, and the art scene dominated by Western art. They intended to reveal young consciousness by finding “living art.” The exhibition was mainly curated by Jang Gyeong-ho, who had served as a curator at Hangang Museum since its opening in 1984. Accordingly, the Young Minds exhibition began to be held at Hangang Museum from its fourth edition. Young Minds preceded the exhibition Sidaejeongsin (Zeitgeist) (Third Museum of Art, 1983) that the Sidaejeongsin (Zeitgeist) Planning Committee organized to present activities of small groups together. The participating artists of Young Minds were diverse, including those who had joined Reality and Utterance [Hyunsilgwa bareon], Imsulnyeon, Hoengdan, and Winter · Daeseong-ri. The first edition was held from March 11 through 17, 1982 at the Deoksu Museum of Art. Its thirty-six founding members included Kang Yobae, Kang Yongdae, Kang Jinmo, Ko Kyeong-hun, Kwak Taeho, Kwon Chilin, Kim Bo-jung, Kim Sung-tae, Kim Wonmyeong, Kim Jinyeol, Kim Hak-yeon, Moon Youngtae, Park Jae-dong, Park Hongsun, Son Kihwan, Lee Myeonghun, Lee Sangho, Lee Yeongbae, Lee Heungduk, Yi Heechoung, Yim Chungjae, Jang Gyeongho, Jang Changik, Jung Bocsu, Cheong Jinyun, Choe Cheolin, Hwang Sehun, Hong Seonwung, and Hong Suncheol. The second edition was held in February 1983 at Kwanhoon Gallery. The participating artists were Kang Yongdae, Ko Kyeong-hun, Kwon Chilin, Kim Bo-jung, Kim Yunjin, Moon Youngtae, Park Geon, Lee Seop, Lee Heungduk, Yim Chungjae, Jang Gyeongho, Jung Bocsu, Jeong Jinseok, Ham Yeon-sik, Hong Seonwung, Hong Suncheol, and Hwang Julie. The third edition was also held at Kwanhoon Gallery with the participants Ko Kyeong-hun, Kim Bo-jung, Kim Jinyoung, Mun Yeongtae, Park Hyeongsik, Song Chang, Ahn Sungkeum, Lee Seop, Lee Chulsoo, Lee Heungduk, Jang Gyeongho, Jung Bocsu, Hong Seonwung, Hong Sungdam, and Hong Suncheol. From the fourth edition, the exhibition was held at Hangang Museum. Among the participating artists in the fourth edition held in September 1984 were Ko Kyeong-hun, Kwon Chilin, Kim Bo-jung, Kang Yongmun, Kim Jinyeol, Park Buldong, Lee Sangho, Lee Seop, Lee Heungduk, Jang Gyeongho, Jung Bocsu, and Hong Suncheol. The fifth edition was held in March 1985. The participants were Ko Younghoon, Kwon Chilin, Kim Bo-jung, Kim Jinyeol, Kim Hwanyeong, Park Jeongae, Park Sangmo, Yu Seongsuk, Lee Sangho, Lee Seop, Lee Eunsun, Lee Heungduk, Jang Gyeongho, Jang Myeonggyu, Jung Bocsu, Cheong Jinyun, Jo Seonghwi, Han Jaehun, Heo Eunyeong, Hong Seongi, and Hong Suncheol. The sixth edition held in April 1986 featured works by thirty-eight artists, such as Kim Gyeongja, Kim Jeongae, Yang Hyangnam, Lee Kyonghee, Jo Seonghwi, Choi Minhwa, and Hong Hwanggi. The seventh and final edition was held in March 1987, and its participating artists included Kwon Yeongro, Lee Gangyong, Lee Sangho, Roh Jaesoon, Lee Chungwoon, Bae Unyeong, Lee Heungduk, Jang Gyeongho, and Hong Suncheol. Jang Seokwon defined Young Minds as the “aesthetics from below” of the younger generation and classified their tendency as experiential self-expression, historical reality, and new forms. You Hongjune characterized Young Minds as “a new movement in the 1980s that rebelled against aestheticism and formalism, which had dominated Korean art, and began to recognize and reflect on the nature of art.”
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National Art Association
An art association established in November 1985 by a collective of grassroots artists, and often also referred to as Minmihyeop. The association sought to organize artists and groups who represented the different movements within Minjung Art and to represent their varied ideas and interests. In 1995, the original association was reformed into the National Korean People’s Artists Association [Jeonguk minjok misurin yeonhap]. In turn, this was the predecessor of the Korean People’s Artists Association [Minjok misurin hyeophoe], a corporation founded in 2000.
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Seoul Art Coalition
The Seoul Art Coalition (SAC) was a solidarity community of small groups in the Seoul area that was formed in 1984 and was active until 1987. From October 1 to 3 in 1983, the “Three Days and Three Nights Discussion” was held in Daeseong-ri, Gapyeong, Gyeonggi-do Province. At the time, Ok Bonghwan, Kim Bongjun, Moon Youngtae, Chang Jinyoung, Choi Minhwa, Choi Youl, Hong Seonwung, and Hong Sungdam gathered to discuss the nature, direction, and challenges of an art movement. They decided to promote an art movement based on solidarity. It was agreed that each region would form an “art community” based not on the critical realism of “Reality and Utterance” but on folk realism. The idea was to form art communities in Seoul, Gwangju, Busan, Incheon, Jeju, and other regions and grow them into a national organization. Choi Minhwa immediately discussed the concept of an art coalition with Yoo Yeunbok and Park Jinhwa. Choi was designated as the person in charge of cartoons, Yoo Yeunbok for mural paintings, and Lee Ki-jung for prints. From January 1984, the SAC began hosting open forums to restore and build a healthy art. It compiled materials and printed 200 copies of Hyeondae misul (Contemporary art). In June of the same year, its members participated in Life Portrayed by 105 Artist, and in September they held an inaugural meeting for the “art coalition” and elected Choi Minhwa as the first director of planning. In October, the SAC published a print calendar Poems and Woodcut Calendars (Woorimadang). The SAC was officially launched in February 1985. The small groups that joined the SAC include Silcheon (Geurim dongin Silcheon), Hoengdan, Namu [Mokpan moin namu], Espa, the Committee of Sidaejeongsin(Zeitgeist) [Sidae jeongsin gihoek wiwonhoe], Mural Painting Organization Sipjangsaeng [Byeokhwa giheok sipjangsang], and Uksae. Its purpose was to “creatively develop the rich formal values of visual arts, fight against any factors that restrict free expression, and seek ways for artworks to be committed to the lives of people.” Simultaneously with its launching, the SAC held art fairs for the populace, such as Eulchuknyeon Group Art Festival and the Gangnam Art Market. In April, it published its bulletin Misul gongdongche (Art community). The publication continued until 1986 with a total of five volumes. In May, the SAC created and posted a hanging painting at the May Third Incheon Laborers Conference. In June, the first general assembly was held, and Son Kihwan was elected as the second director of planning. In July, Son Kiwhan, Park Jinhwa, and Park Buldong curated the exhibition Power of the Art by the Twenties but the police arrested the artists and confiscated their works. In February 1986, the Byeonginnyeon Group Art Festival was held at the Arab Art Museum. At the second general assembly in March, Yoo Yeunbok was elected as the third director of planning, and at the third general assembly in 1987, Park Jinhwa was elected as the fourth director of planning. On June 17, 1986, the SAC painted the mural Joy of Unification on the building in front of Sinchon Station, and on July 26, it did the mural Co-Living on the wall of Yoo Yeunbok’s house. These two murals were defaced by the state. Those who created the latter, including Yoo Yeunbok, Kim Jinha, Choi Byungsoo, Hong Hwanggi, and Kim Yongman, were indicted without detention. The SAC organized the exhibition Satire and Humor in August and the exhibition Art and Politics at Great Transition, in November 1987. In January 1988, the SAC members discussed its dissolution at a restaurant in Insa-dong and then disbanded. The SAC is the first collective of small groups that was formed after the agreement on turning the national organizations of Minjung art movement into art communities was made. They accomplished significant achievements in the popular art movement, mural movement, and art discourse.
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