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Minjung art
editOn the existing Wikipedia page for [Minjung art], there is a lot of missing information, including a lack of any showcasing of art or artists. It provides only a brief introduction of the concept of [Minjung], its page also lacking information, and does not address the actual art movement itself. I was born in South Korea, and in researching the available information on Wikipedia about [Korean art], which introduces different styles of art throughout history but does not mention any art movements, I came across this page and found a significant gap. The Background and History sections could be altered to provide a deeper understanding of this art movement. This page fails to connect [Minjung theology] to the [Minjung movement] as a whole, as well as this cultural movement's influence on art. This page lacks images as well as examples of art and artists. It does not expand on the movement's focus on [populism], democracy, and nationalism. Instead it addresses only a portion of the war and politics involved in the creation of this art movement. It does not provide any information on the current narrative of the movement that is being had in Korea today, as well as its influences on other movements, such as Minjung feminism. This page is not only very short in length but also does not provide any in-depth view of Minjung art. This creates a gap in the knowledge that is being produced and shared. I am left wondering, "so what exactly is Minjung art?" As with feminist art, there is no single style or look to what makes something Minjung art. However, this page does not draw that connection, and in doing so, also ignores the influenced movements that further address intersecting structures.
Minjung art, or roughly translated to "the art of the masses"[1], was an art movement in South Korea, first introduced in the 1980s, following the Monochrome art style of the 1970s. Minjung art culture influenced and was influenced by its greater cultural and political movement, in the form of literature, visual arts, and performance arts[2].
Minjung art as a political statement sought to provoke political consciousness in readdressing modern art that was highly influenced by the West. It sought to address issues of neocolonialism and imperialism with the emerging movement of Minjung nationalism[3]. In its opposition to capitalism and commodification of art, minjung art instead pushed for a democratization of art[4]
In formation of the minjung cultural and political movement, minjung art and its artists held a significant role in the sharing of minjung history, theology, and literature, and especially in leading the [Gwangju Uprising][5].
The movement became representative of those oppressed in the sociopolitical system, and academics within the movement worked together in creating a coherent political identity for minjung activists[6].
Some Minjung artists include [Hong Song-dam], Shin Hak-chol[7], Im Ok-sang[8], and Chon Mi-yong.
Notes
editSources
edit- Kal, Hong (2011). Aesthetic Constructions of Korean Nationalism: Spectacle, Politics and History. Routledge.
- Katsiaficas, George (2012). Asia's Unknown Uprisings: South Korean social movements in the 20th century. PM Press.
- Kim, Yong-na (2006). 20th Century Korean Art. Laurence King Publishing.
- Kuster, Volker (2010). "Chapter Two: Re-/constructing Korean Identity The Minjung Culture Movement", A Protestant Theology of Passion: Korean Minjung Theology Revisited. BRILL.
- Lee, Namhee (2009). The Making of Minjung: Democracy and the Politics of Representation in South Korea. Cornell University Press.
- West, Philip, & Suh, Ji-moon (2015). Remembering the Forgotten War: The Korean War Through Literature and Art. Routledge.
Further Reading
edit- Lehmann, Tobias (2009). "Minjung Art Reconsidered: Art as a Means of Resistance," Transactions 84:73-90. Royal Asiatic Society-Korea Branch.
- Wells, Kenneth (1995). South Korea's Minjung Movement: The Culture and Politics of Dissidence. University of Hawaii Press.
- http://koreanstudies.com/minjungart/