[KS] KT: [Museums - (18)] Woljun Teaches Traditional Oriental Philosophies
Frank M. Tedesco
tedesco at uriel.net
Thu Jul 16 11:50:50 EDT 1998
> [Museums in Korea - (18)] Woljun
> Teaches Traditional Oriental
> Philosophies [Image] [Ima=
ge]
> [Image]
> 07/15(=BC=F6) 15:02
> =
> By Kim Mi-hui
> =
> Staff Reporter
> =
> Most art museums focus on holding exhibitions and various=
art
> related activities. But not Woljun Art Museum. The museum=
> distinctly concentrates on helping artists in other ways
> besides showing their work.
> =
> Established in 1991 by Jang Woo-sung, who goes by the pen=
> name Woljun, the museum defines itself with two special
> programs: teaching Oriental theory and giving out awards =
to
> the artists who practice the theories.
> =
> ``Today's art focuses too much on the theories of the Wes=
t.
> That's great to an extent, but if we don't practice our o=
wn
> art philosophies, who will?'' asks Jang.
> =
> And so the museum was built and the classes arranged. The=
> lectures conducted by the highly acclaimed guest speakers=
> from the best universities in Seoul, emphasize various
> aspects of Orientalism such as art, religion, philosophy =
and
> theories.
> =
> At first, very few seemed interested in the ``outdated''
> teachings, but this year more than 100 interested student=
s
> and artists applied for one of the 30 available seats. ``=
That
> shows how much our reputation has grown,'' Jang observes.=
> =
> Strict qualifications limit the number of candidates. The=
> applicant must be a graduate of an art university, must h=
ave
> studied Oriental art, not Western or sculpture, and he or=
she
> must have some background in Oriental art theory.
> =
> Because so few can attend their lectures, Jang records,
> transcribes and publishes the speeches and distributes th=
em
> free of charge for educative purposes. ``The response has=
> been great. Some even use them as text books because it f=
ills
> the gap in our art studies these days that emphasize only=
the
> modern,'' Jang notes.
> =
> The second program is awarding great artists who practice=
> these thoughts. The award is given every other year and t=
he
> prize money comes straight out of Jang's own pocket _ lik=
e
> everything else including the lectures and museum managem=
ent.
> =
> ``Because we don't hold exhibitions very often, we don't =
have
> much money. Everything we do, I pay for myself,'' Jang
> explains with a hint of pride. His expression darkened,
> however, saying, ``But what we are doing is like walking =
a
> night dressed in satin clothes. You know you are wearing
> something valuable but nobody can see it and appreciate i=
t.''
> =
> But if anyone is immune to the tyrannical lust for fame, =
it
> is Jang who has built over 70 years of quiet artistic glo=
ry
> to his 84-year-old life.
> =
> Jang, is the first son in a family of two sons and five
> daughters. ``My father and grandfather were both scholars=
and
> expected me to become a writer or a famous calligrapher, =
but
> I was always drawing and painting instead,'' Jang remembe=
rs.
> His pen name, Woljun, was given to him about this time by=
his
> father from ``wol'' meaning the moon for which Jang had a=
> fascination and``jun'' taken from ``Sajun,'' the name of =
the
> place he grew up.
> =
> When he was 19, Jang began studying Oriental painting at
> ``Nakchonghon,'' an art school run by Kim Eun-ho and
> calligraphy at ``Sangsuhoe,'' an institute run by Kim
> Dong-hee despite his family's opposition. He also learned=
> Chinese characters at the Yukyo Chinese Character Institu=
te.
> =
> After one year under Kim's instruction, Jang surprised
> everybody by winning a prize at the 11th Choson Art
> Exhibition with his work ``the Beach'' making his debut a=
s a
> painter. The glory was repeated when he won another prize=
> this time with a calligraphic work, at the 12th Joint
> Exhibitions of Calligraph and Painting.
> =
> Winning prizes both in calligraphy and painting pleased h=
is
> father. ``He wrote me a letter exhorting me to work harde=
r
> and warning me against self-complacency. That was his way=
of
> expressing approval,'' Jang recalls, smiling.
> =
> Thus began his career encompassing small and large tides =
of
> successes and achievements. He became a professor of art =
at
> Seoul National University in 1946, led a national art
> movement for the restoration of the purity of Korean
> paintings by cleansing Japanese elements all through the =
40's
> and the 50's, served as a war painter in 1951 and establi=
shed
> a Korean art museum in 1963.
> =
> He also received a number of awards including the ones th=
e
> Choson Art Exhibition gave him year after year _ he took =
the
> 1st place prize at the 20th exhibition _ as well as a num=
ber
> of honors like being nominated to serve on the Executive
> Committee of the National Art Exhibition.
> =
> Surprisingly, Jang has held only held 16 solo exhibitions=
> throughout his long career. One of which was an exhibitio=
n in
> Paris at the invitation of the French government which
> selected two of his works exhibited there, ``Scarlet Apri=
cot
> Blossoms'' and ``Stones,'' for preservation at the French=
> Culture Ministry.
> =
> ``You should only have an exhibition if you really have
> something to show. When you have had the time to think,
> produce and have perfected a certain theory or philosophy=
of
> the mind,'' Jang insists. Frequent exhibitions by artists=
> these days are often disappointing because they have no
> content, Jang adds.
> =
> Jang's most recent solo exhibition was the ``Life's Work =
of
> Woljun'' held at the Ho-Am Art Museum in 1994, when the
> artist was 80-years-old. The exhibited works were made in=
to a
> book titled ``Panryongsanin Art Collection.'' The title h=
as a
> personal significance for Jang.
> =
> The story goes back to the death of Jang's grandmother wh=
en
> his family lived in Tanyang, Chungchong-pukto. ``A repute=
d
> geomancer named Chong Sang-yong told my grandmother's fam=
ily
> that if she was buried in this particular spot, they woul=
d
> produce a prominent artist or calligrapher 20 years later=
=2E''
> The area surrounding the grave in question, Jang explaine=
d,
> had the shape of a dragon with the rocky mountain in the
> foreground acting as the cintamani or crystal ball held i=
n
> the dragon's mouth.
> =
> ``Panryong'' means a dragon which has not yet ascended to=
the
> heavens, ``san'' a mountain, and ``in'' a person. Jang ha=
s
> faith in Chong's theory, and he often uses the name
> ``panryongsanin'' in reference to himself.
> =
> Indeed, Jang's artistic genius is not denied by anyone wh=
o
> has seen his work. For example, after Jang's first solo
> exhibition at the gallery of Donghwa Department Store in
> 1950, Kim Hwanki, a renowned artist himself, wrote the
> following comment in a newspaper article:
> =
> ``I've seen few artists better than Jang at handling the
> delicate white drawing paper and the unwieldy brushes. Su=
ch a
> skill takes more than talent to master. He must have put =
in
> an enormous amount of time and energy for practice.''
> =
> Sitting in his office surrounded by a courtyard of bamboo=
> trees which he planted himself, Jang seems to be satisfie=
d
> with the way his museum grasps all his thoughts concernin=
g
> art. ``Simplification over gaudy, nature over artificial,=
> teaching rather than showing are the rules I abide by whe=
n
> painting, and I want my museum to be the center where peo=
ple
> learn the same principles,'' Jang says sincerely.
> =
> The museum (02-732-3777), located in Samchong-dong near C=
hong
> Wa Dae, is open Mondays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 4 =
p.m.
> at which time Jang's works and his private collection of
> Chinese bronze sculptures can be viewed.
> =
> ------------------------------------------------------------=
--------
> (C) COPYRIGHT 1998 THE HANKOOKILBO
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/14_6/9807/t4651283.htm
-- =
Frank Tedesco, Ph.D.
Occasional lecturer, University of Maryland
Assistant Professor
Sejong University
98 Kunjadong, Kwangjin-gu
Seoul 143-747 KOREA
Tel/fax: 82-2-997-3954
E-mail: tedesco at uriel.net
"Life is a terminal disease, and it's sexually transmitted."
John Cleese, the Buddhist.
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