[Virtual K-Culture: Visual Arts 5]
The Korean Cultural Centre is thrilled to share the video about Park Saengkwang’s 「Jeon, Bong-jun(1985)」created by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) of its Director’s Talk _MMCA Collection video series.
“Park Saengkwang (1904-1985) created articles with themes taken from shamanism, Buddhism, folk art, and history. He has been praised for achieving a uniquely Korean form of chaesaekhwa (polychrome painting) rooted in national traits. 「Jeon, Bong-jun」is a representative historical painting from the artist’s later years, boldly presenting the spirit of the Donghak Peasant Revolution on a vast canvas. Jeon Bong-jun appears at the center, staring intensely forward with a fierce gaze as white-clad peasant soldiers to his left fire arrows and cannons toward government forces. To the right, Japanese and government soldiers wield spears and swords on horses and boats. The canvas swirls with ochre-colored cattle, chickens, and howling human figures. The words ‘Hoam Jeilseong’ at the top of the work refers to Jeonjuseong Fortress, where the peasant forces emerged victoriously in a battle in 1894. This work offers an excellent illustration of the characteristics of Park’s painting: the use of dancheong (Korean traditional decorative colouring) paints, the creative techniques combining ink-and-wash with colour, the plane partitioned with orange lines and the methods used to colour the plane. ‘There is no such thing as a people who have departed history and tradition. In all folk art, there is the unique tradition of that people,’ he said prior to his passing at the age of 82.”
Park’s works were shown at the Samsung Hoam Gallery(Seoul, 1986), Le Salon 85 Grand-Palais(Paris, 1985) and the Fine Art Hall(Seoul, 1984), among many others.
Please click the image below to launch the video led by Youn Bummo, Director of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea.
