Asian+Studies+Final+Dana+Shin

=**Art in Contemporary East Asia** =



Historical & Technical approaches(contemporary 1970~ present)


 * Art** is made to provoke thoughts and influence the audience. Everyday, we all see some sort of art. Even when you go down the street, what do you see? You might see some buses going by, maybe some advertisements on the buses, cloths, shops, people, buildings, statues, benches, parks, museums and etc. Those can all be, in some way, related to art. Art is sometimes used as propaganda, such as portraying leaders like Mao Tse Tong, to show historical backgrounds, withhold traditional values, like using China's national flag, and the peony, the symbols for prosperity in seen from Qingsong's works,and even as a future investment.

Asian contemporary art can be said that it was created from the influence of Western art and cultures because it first started as an imitation of Western art. Since the art was too focused on simply copying the Western art, without putting much meaning in to it, the artists began to question their own art works. Then experimental groups were formed in Japan and in Korea; Gutai, a Japanese avant-garde group, was in established in 1954 and the Korean Avant-Garde Association was made in 1969. By the 1980s, many young artists of China practiced experimental media art because Western culture and art seemed to be more fascinating and have more potential. The experimental medias were later exhibited in foreign countries for international art fairs, while traditional media did not make much progress outside of their local areas.

Art can have many meanings, though sometimes it might be too ambiguous, and can express certain things that words cannot.

Development of Contemporary art in China, Japan, and Korea media type="file" key="slide.swf" width="679" height="468" align="center"

=**1. Chinese contemporary art**=



__Brief History__ -Symbolism of government status(communism to capitalism)

The major theme that tends to be the focus of art is on the socio-political issues since after Chinese revolution. Which political characters, like Mao Tse-tung, are still found in many contemporary Chinese art works. Some artists experimented on using Western techniques and political themes, like addressing the damages from the Cultural Revolution, during the 1970s to 1980s.

In the mid-1980s, artists, wanting to make social reforms, created avant-garde arts and expressed even more political themes. But after the crackdown on protesters in Tiananmen Square in 1989, those movements were quieted. In 1990s, the rapid growth of China’s economy changed the artists’ focus toward money, wealth and consumerism.

__Cynical Art__

Cynical realism started after Tiananmen incident (1989). It is the trend of 60~80s artist, who was well educated on realistic techniques through art academies. Based on the academic’s teachings, the influence of 85 New wave movement is commonly believed as its foundation. However, the sense of society’s malaise being expressed with contemporary views is the one of most well used main theme. Artists that are frequently acknowledged as representatives of cynical realism are Liu Wei, Song Yonghong, Wang Jinsong, Liu Xiaodong and Yu Hong.

Example of Artist

media type="youtube" key="V1TgaTtzA9c" height="249" width="302" Theme: Cynical Realism, but he rejects this label Technique: Statues, paintings Has sold most expensive Chinese contemporary work in Sotheby’s in London. (£2.9 million pounds) Style: Uses water color, watercolor, prints and sculptures, which always depicts himself frozen in laughter
 * Yue Minjun (1962~)**

=**2. Japanese contemporary art**=



__Brief History__ -Globalization of commercial art

After the defeat in World War II, the //anime// has appeared as escape from the trauma. Osamu Tezuka first led the //anime// in the 1960s. He used the an anime facial type and a distilled drawing style which does not reflect the realistic features but rather emphasizes metamorphosis. The standard Japanese //anime// characters depicts a innocent child with big, round eyes.

Japan, though a leading country in the art market during the 1980s, began to fade as the yen currency fell and brought about the world economic recession to world’s art market. But from the mid-1990s, the Japanese popular art has regained its popularity due to its globalization of culture and adoption of popular art. The Western artists also inserted //anime// imagery into their own pictures as an experimental form of art.

__Japanese Pop Art__

Tanaami was the first Japanese artist to try out for pop art. After a meeting with Andy Warhol, he was fascinated by the idea of pop art and began using colorful and psychedelic materials. Takashi Murakami, another renown Japanese pop artist, mixed both the traditional art and newer subjects together to form his modern style of art-"super-flat". Most of the pop artists in Japan get their inspirations from the anime, the traditional Japanese art, and the ukiyo-e, the wood block print. The innocent and vulnerable children are the most commonly portrayed as its metaphor.

media type="youtube" key="4C84FLwm3DA" height="292" width="348" Technique: Superflat art Most well-known Japanese modern artist in western world, creates pieces inspired by anime and manga. Murakami uses the low culture and transforms it into high art. His works, which can be found in videos, key chains, sculptures, and even in $5000 limited-edition Louis Vuitton bags, are reproduced like that of Andy Warhol's and looks like contemporary anime and manga.
 * Takashi Murakami**

=**3. Korean contemporary art**=



__Brief History__ -Significance of tradition, nationalism, and patriotism.

The division of North and South Korea gave influence to the Korean artists. The //Kukjon// National Art Exhibition, the first form of formal exhibition in Korea, gathered the traditional and the contemporary art together but it only remained as a conservative, because it only consisted of realistic artworks. So the modern arts were developed outside of //Kukjon//. Then protests, such as the Art //Informel// or the //Muk-lim Hoe//, criticized the //Kukjon//’s post-war. They related art directly to the streams of culture-politics. Many artists decided to study abroad to Europe or America, instead of Japan. Those artists later brought in the contemporary arts from foreign countries and began to adapt or imitate the Hard Edge, Op Art, and Hyper-Realism.

The Koreans experienced much prosperity due to the rapid development of industries and economy in the 1970s. During this period, the artists could look back at their art works and could realize that they simply imitated the Western art without any foundation. This led to the movement of ‘Monochrome Painting’, which they began to express harmony just as how the traditional art works were like. They then eliminated imagery and used neutral colors which were portrayed in the ancient Korean potteries and costumes. But because of the IMF in 1997, the Korean art market crashed. Looking for alternative ways to reconstruct the market, the new styles of exhibition was formed, such as the Gwangju Biennale, Media City in Seoul, and the International Art Festival in Busan was held regularly. But currently, Korean art is criticized for its excessive diversity; though its individual works are sophisticated, they do not do well collectively. They do not have much similarity between artists.

media type="youtube" key="VuaJAgx0x_4" height="293" width="352"

Technique: Video art Influence: The founder of video art. Though Paik was raised as a classical pianist, he began to work in the field of electronic art which he was inspired by conceptual artists and composers he met at Germany.
 * Nam Jun Paik** (July 20, 1932 – January 29, 2006)

Prospects

The contemporary art is not only valued with aesthetic values, but also as a great investment. As the recent rise of the Chinese art in global markets such as Sotheby, the stereotypes of Chinese art qualities are now questioned. Soon, the art markets in Asia will show its economical potentials and gain its unique value that only Asia contemporary art can hold. “The Economist reported that Chinese art has become the latest darling in the world market according to the record sales from Sotheby's andChristie's, the biggest fine-art auction houses.”

**Self Evaluation**

1. What did you contribute specifically to your project? I first the history of East Asian art to get the idea. Then I searched for the artists and their works to give examples of art works for each country.

2. How successful do you think you conveyed your research to your audience? I think it was quite successful overall because I wrote a brief summary of the history of contemporary art of the three nations to help the readers understand the current situation better. I also used arrows and the text boxes to make the audience to easily get the key points. I also explained the popular form of arts of each country.

3. What would have made your presentation more successful? My presentation would have been more successful if I had put more examples of actual artists and written the researches in more detail. My presentation seems too succinct.

4. How successful do you think your technology-based materials were in conveying your research? I used video streaming from youtube to show the audience the even more examples of works and used the chart to show how the art had developed.

5. What would have made your technology-based materials more successful? I would add more videos and other forms of interesting materials like cartoons or drew a picture that clearly reflects the art characters of each country.

6. What did you learn from this project? Submit any other comments after this question. I learned about the similarities and the differences in art that the three East Asian nations shared. I really enjoyed seeing various pictures.

**Citation**

"Past in Reverse: Contemporary Art of East Asia." Web. 07 June 2011. .

Kim, Youngna. "Exploring Themes in Korean Painting." Contemporary Painting in Korea since 1945. Seoul National University. Web. .

Kolesnikov-Jessop, Sonia. "Korean Art Emerges from China's Shadow - The New York Times." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. 10 Oct. 2008. Web. 07 June 2011. .

"Chinese Art." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 07 June 2011. .

Meurer, Cathryn. "CNN In-Depth Specials - Visions of China - Inside China: Chinese Art Today." CNN.com International - Breaking, World, Business, Sports, Entertainment and Video News. Web. 07 June 2011. .

"CREATIVE JAPAN - Contemporary Art." Embassy of Japan in the UK. Web. 07 June 2011. .

"Art Scene Warehouse - Chinese Contemporary Art - Shanghai Art Gallery." Art Scene Warehouse, Shanghai - Chinese Contemporary Art Gallery in Shanghai. Web. 07 June 2011. .

Chiu, Melissa. "Asian Contemporary Art: An Introduction in Oxford Art Online." //Home Page in Oxford Art Online//. Oxford University Press. Web. 12 June 2011. .

Lee, Young Chul. "Apexart :: Conference Program :: Young Chul Lee." //NYC International Contemporary Art Exhibition Space, Residency Program, Book Publishing, Public Programs and Events :: Apexart :: Small Space Big Ideas//. June 1999. Web. 12 June 2011. .

"Takashi Murakami." //Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia//. Web. 12 June 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takashi_Murakami>.