Fusing the Traditional and Contemporary

Ryu Yeun Bok, Gumgang Mountain, 2007, series of 12 woodcuts

     Although I have taken a traditional Asian art history course which covered Chinese, Japanese, Indian and South East Asian art, I am unfamiliar with art from Korea.  When I learned that there would be a show of South Korean art at Sacramento State, I was curious and excited to see the contemporary works of artists from the other side of the world.  Sacramento State's University Library Gallery hosts The Land The People: Contemporary Korean Prints, a collection of diverse contemporary prints created by ten South Korean artists.  The exhibition holds a range of  different print techniques from traditional wood cut to digitally processed prints, yet all the artworks come together beautifully and illustrate the distinctive style of Korean art.  It is a refreshing blend of traditional and contemporary components from the medium to the installation. 

Chung Sang Gon, Exodus, 2004, digital print

     Chung Sang Gon's Exodus are three big black and white prints of people that have been blurred and digitally altered.  The resulting effect looks the photo was taken while passing by.  The prints are all similar in height and composition, becoming one large rectangular piece rather than three separate works.  I thought it would have more impact if Chung Sang Gon used greater contrast from dark to light, but it may not be the artist's intent to create a dramatic piece.  In Exodus, a contemporary technique is employed by the artist, it is both a modern medium (photoshop) and abstracted in a way that cannot be attained through traditional woodcut medium.  It is also displayed in a contemporary fashion:  The prints are not framed and are raised from the wall, creating the drop shadow effect.

     A long rectangular strip of 12 woodcut landscapes titled Gumgang Mountain by Ryu Yeun Bok is a more traditional piece in terms of subject matter and execution.  Unlike the portraits of Chung Sang Gon's Exodus, the mountains are a more literal interpretation.  Woodcut is a traditional method of print as well, the modern element that comes into play in this piece are the expressionist style employed by the artist as well as the triangular patches of colors.

Jung Won Chul, Face to Face, 2004, linocut printed PVC sheet

     Face to Face by Jung Won Chul is the most experimental piece in the gallery, utilizing strong contemporary elements in contrast to the more traditional medium used in the portrait itself.  The piece showcases seniors, women being more prominent.  A traditional woodblock technique is used in these portraits but in the more modern style of photorealism.  The artist uses heavy contrast, giving the portraits a sharpness and expressiveness that a photograph could not capture.  There is light that comes trough in wavy lines over the portrait which help convey a sense of life and lightness, as if it is emanating from the individual.  The portraits are all encased within a PVC sheet; a transparent long rectangular sheet that hangs from the ceiling.  The sheets are hung next to each other so that the portraits are parallel to one another, or in the artist's words, "face to face".  This method of displaying art is highly unique, but each individual portrait is not easy to see.  You need to stand at a certain spot to  effectively see each portrait.  It is not the artist's intent to display each person in a conventional manner; the biggest contemporary element of this piece is the way in which it is displayed.  The people behind the person you see best becomes blurred as you move down the line of portraits.  This gives the piece an element that would be lost if each individual were to be hung in a traditional manner (framed and up against the wall).  Through this manner of presentation, the individual portraits become united as a whole rather than singular and separate.

     The Land The People exhibition hosted by Sacramento State's University Library Gallery is a show that effectively displays the fusion between the traditional South Korean art and the contemporary method.  Woodcut prints are the earliest form of printing and traditionally used in the Far East, including South Korea.  Contemporary methods such as digital printing stand in stark contrast to the traditional woodcut print, but together they are used to blend the ancient history of Korea to the modern South Korea. Each artist employs both traditional and contemporary elements in their work, from the medium to the presentation of their art.  Some pieces lean towards the more traditional while others possess more contemporary elements.  It is truly an intriguing exhibition and professionally put together.

Lee Yun Yop, Sparkling Eyes, 2013, installation of woodcuts created to support demonstrations and activist activities

Remembering TB9

 

          Located in UC Davis, Temporary Building 9 (TB9) was converted into an art ceramic studio in the 1920s.   The studio was used to teach the traditional methods of making ceramic art.  Fast forward to the early 60s, Richard L. Nelson, the founder of the art department in UC Davis, was assembling a faculty that would become considered one of the most prestigious in the nation.  This group included Robert Arneson, Wayne Thiebaud, Manuel Neri and William T. Wiley.  Although Robert Arneson was hired as a professor, he would be the one to establish the ceramic sculpture department in TB9.  During this time, ceramic art was considered a utilitarian item or a mere craft, not considered a fine art form.  It was during the 1960s when Robert Arneson created a ceramics revolution by challenging the status of ceramics and exploring it as an art form.  His early work would consist of taking the mundane every day object and elevating it to the status of art by realizing it using the ceramic medium.  It was because his ceramic art depicted everyday items that lead some to believe he drew from Pop Art, though it is argued he had added some personal elements to the works which made them Funk Art. There were other artists who were a part of Robert Arneson's TB9, and three of them were giving the lecture at Sacramento State University: Steve Kaltenbach, Peter VandenBerge and JerryWalburg.  

          It was apparent in the lecture that these three artists have had a long history together in TB9, there were some joking and playful banter between the three.  They gave off a lightheartedness to the lecture, making it both interesting and entertaining to listen to these three art friends reminisce about their times in UC Davis with Bob, the nickname used for Robert Arneson, and TB9.  Peter VandenBerge talked about the idea for TB9 was for it to be an open studio and not a closed classroom setting, a place where artists can go and create and make things and talk about art.   

           

          When O'Brien asked what made TB9 a good teaching environment and about the hardships, Jerry Walburg answered "peer pressure".  There was a sense of camaraderie amongst the artists.  This helped the group to push themselves into new ideas.  Jerry explains how he experimented with fire glazes which helped to make his work look less crafty.  The artists remembered how Arneson would have the students make an artwork and once finished, he took it and smashed it saying how it was important for artists to detach themselves from their works.  He also stated how important it was to defend your work because it made you think about what you were doing.

          What Jerry wanted to bring to Sacramento State was the importance of bringing artists together, not under a classroom setting but as a working community.  It is important that the artist be driven by self discipline.

           One of the questions asked during that lecture was what they felt was lacking in the classrooms today.  Jerry noted that it was work ethic, and he began explaining how he didn't see many people at the art labs working in like the artists had done at TB9.  Peter pointed out that there were no rules yet established at TB9 when Robert Arneson and the others worked there.  You could make the experience whatever you wanted.  Obsession is important.  Jerry reflected on today's society and added that there wasn't a lot of distractions like today.  They also said that teachers should be encouraging and look at each student as an individual in order to give good constructive criticism. 

Peter VandenBerge, House Poet, ceramic

             

Jerry Walburg, Indo Arch, K Street Mall

          Prior to my research of TB9, I was unaware of this legendary group.  It was a surprise to learn of their contributions to the art world, and even more amazing to learn that even though I was unfamiliar with their names and contributions, I have seen their art displayed in various locations throughout my life ranging from Davis to Sacramento.  I remember the Eggheads in Davis by Arneson.  They were curious figures, simple in form yet complicated because I didn't know what was meant by these disembodied heads that were shaped like eggs.  Steve Kaltenbach created the painting Portrait of my Father.  I have seen it as a young girl on a class field trip and to this day, it is one of the paintings I like to revisit whenever I come to the Crocker.  I remember seeing the sculptures of Jerry Walburg whenever I visited the mall or went to the Crocker.  He created the sculpture Sakai, placed in front of the Crocker and he was behind the sculpture in front of the K Street Mall, Indo Arch.  Peter VandenBerge created the ceramic sculpture House Poet that is displayed in the CSUS library, my favorite piece in the library no lie.  I feel that it's a bit embarrassing that I am familiar with these artists' works but not the artists themselves, considering that they are important local artists.  I am glad that I attended the lecture where I got to hear the history of the artists that worked in TB9 from the actual artists themselves.

 Robert Arneson, Eggheads in UC Davis

Steven Kaltenbach Portrait of my Father acrylic on canvas