민경아 판화전 "The Bible in K-classic"_장로회신학대학교_2013.1018_1115

[MinKyeongAh]

The research work <The Bible in K-classic> seeks to graft Christian contents onto images which were enculturated after choosing the form of image appropriation and consilience.

Image appropriation in post-modernism was a tool to innovate the art history from the beginning and opened a new chapter in art history. Even though the contemporary appropriation art forms the main stream enough to pioneer the new art history, there are negative viewpoints on issues of confusion in copyright and existence of creativity as well.

Image appropriation and consilience, however, are chosen because they are appropriate formative methods for the research work’s purpose. The appropriation method in the research work is rather closer to hommage and it is based upon prerequisites that original works are valuable and that appreciators acknowledge the value. Images subject to appropriation are classified into three categories of famous paintings with Christian themes in the West, paintings of the late Joseon and Pinocchio images. The research intends to produce a new discourse by consilience of various works as well as their appropriation.

The work is created to make figures who accidentally and intentionally meet each other feel friendly and strange at the same time in an atmosphere where the present and the past and the East and the West are mixed. As a play searches for proper actors, images appropriation is performed with images proper to backgrounds and roles on each work. In a similar way, as a play is synthetically directed with multiple parts such as acting, stage setting, costumes, lighting and makeups, images of appropriation are in consilience.

First, the research work’s intention for appropriation of famous western paintings to deal with Christian contents is that because the form can cover the contents. Without the intention for conveying its messages or repulsion from appreciators, it aims to make them easily approach the work with appropriation of the famous western paintings. Second, the reason is to use consilience for tender shapes of God with artworks by artistic genii with their imagination and place the shapes as roles for the research work. With this intention, the researcher applies appropriation on paintings by Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, Raffaello Sanzio, Salvatore Rosa, Grünewald and Dali.

The intention for appropriation of paintings of late Joseon for naturalized Korean images is that because it was the culture created when a fresh form of painting with Korean identity was born by getting out of Chinese culture. Since it is considered that appropriation of cultural heritages is proper to symbolically express the Korean identity and to inherit the valuable traditional culture, appropriation is used on genre paintings by Jeong Seon, Kim Deuk-sin, Kim Hong-do and Shin Yun-bok.

The reason for appropriation of Pinocchio images is to express humans’ imperfection and finitude. <Supper of Pinocchios>, in particular, intends to emphasize the theme betrayal with depicting Jesus and his disciples as Pinocchios. It is the scene that Jesus on the verge of his death prophesies at the famous supper that one of his disciples is to betray him and all the disciples are doubtful talking who would be the one with their surprise. It is not only Jesus who is betrayed. From disciples’ perspectives, however, they could feel much more betrayed when Jesus coming as a king was hopelessly killed. This situation is expressed on the frame of supper of Pinocchios.

With appropriation of famous paintings with Christian themes in the West, paintings of the late Joseon and Pinocchio images, the research work <The Bible in K-classic> pursues the work in which the time and place coexist and the enculturated Christian theme is realized. In addition, the research attempts art with Christian themes by overcoming the narrow conservativeness with an expanded viewpoint which is capable of encompassing evenement and excroissance based on Badiou’s set theory.

As art with Christian themes is in line with western art history, it has been on the center or been isolated and has developed many events and truths. As it comes closer to modern times, however, humane aspects are more expressed over piety or gravity and artworks with shock or provocative feelings are predominant in the world of art. Christian art which cannot shock people but have self-confessional features is not acknowledged as art in contemporary discourses. Even with the increasing Christians of today, Christian art in Korea has not been developed that much, just remaining silent.

Since art was separated from Christianity, they have technically had love-hate relationship. With similar but opposite characteristics of art and Christianity, both of their acceptable ranges are narrow so it is of course an issue hard to handle. Within an attempt to express Christian themes with strong conservativeness onto the most progressive art form, many evenement and excroissance can already be generated. Even though there is criticism on the progressive world of art or on the conservative religious world, the graft of the religion and art which take up essential positions in human beings is considered worth trying.

This research work seeks to build the relation of offset and complement with encounter of the light form and the heavy theme.  

The Bible in K-classic

2013. 1018_1115 

  Presbyterian College and Theological Seminary

연구작품 <The Bible in K-classic>은 이미지 차용과 통섭의 형식을 선택하여 토착화의 과정을 거친 이미지들로 기독교적 내용과 접목시키는 것을 추구하고 있다.

저작권의 혼란과 독창성의 논란에도 불구하고 포스트모더니즘의 이미지 차용은 역사를 전복시키는 도구로 시작되면서 미술사의 새로운 장을 펼쳤다. 연구 작품에서 차용방식은 오마쥬에 가까우며, 원작이 가치 있다는 사실과 독자들이 그러한 사실을 알고 있다는 것을 전제로 하고 있다. 연구 작품에 차용된 이미지들은 서양 기독교 주제의 명화, 조선 후기 회화, 그리고 피노키오 이미지, 이렇게 세 가지로 분류된다.

또한 오늘 날 합침의 대명사로 등장한 통섭을 각기 다른 원작에서 차용된 서로 관련 없던 이미지들이 한 작품 안에서 만나 갈등과 화해를 통해 새로운 해석의 장을 넓혀가는 과정으로 이미지에 적용시켰다.

현재와 과거, 동양과 서양이 혼재된 분위기와 계획적이면서도 우연히 만난 인물들이 친근하면서도 낯설게 느껴지도록 하였다. 마치 연극에서 각본에 적합한 배우를 찾듯이, 작품마다 배경과 배역에 적합한 이미지를 차용한 것이고, 한 편의 연극에서 배우들의 연기, 무대 장치, 의상, 조명 등의 여러 부분을 종합적으로 연출하듯이, 차용된 이미지를 통섭한 것이다.

연구 작품에서 기독교적 내용을 다루는데 서양의 명화를 차용한 의도는 형식이 내용을 덮을 수 있기 때문이다. 내용전달이 우선되지 않고 거부감 없이 친근하게 다가갈 수 있도록 서양의 명화를 차용한 것이다.

토착화된 한국적 이미지를 위해 조선후기 회화를 차용한 의도는 중국의 문화에서 벗어나 한국의 정체성이 담긴 신선한 회화양식이 탄생된 시기의 문화이기 때문이다. 한국의 정체성을 상징적으로 표현하기에 적합하다는 점과 가치 있는 전통문화의 계승을 위해 이러한 문화재의 차용은 바람직하다는 생각에 정선, 김득신, 김홍도 그리고 신윤복의 풍속화를 차용하였다.

또한 피노키오 이미지를 차용한 이유는 인간의 불완전함이나 유한성 그리고 배신이라는 주제를 강조하려는 의도였다.

연구 작품 <The Bible in K-classic>은 서양의 기독교 주제의 명화, 조선후기 회화와 피노키오 이미지를 차용하여 시대와 장소가 공존하면서도 토착화된 기독교적 주제의 작품을 추구하였지만, 감상의 방향을 제시한 것은 아니다. 관련 없는 이미지들과 상반된 주제들이 서로 만나 넘나드는 통섭의 과정을 통해 사건과 돌출이 발생시킨 새로운 탄생물과 다양한 해석을 기대한 것이다. 감상의 자리는 알랭 바디우의 집합론에서 말하고 있는 수없이 확산되는 부분집합과 헤아려지지 않는 공백으로 남기 바란다. 

민경아 작가노트