Mainly used as the print medium for a long time, a printmaking has become a medium of expression in art according to the appreciation of its possibility in artistic expression in late 19th century in Western art. Various printmaking methods were developed mostly in Europe, and the following spread of printmaking booming in the U.S. after the Second World War has led Korean artists in the 1950, 60s to appreciating an artistry of the prints and producing them. Valuing the printmaking as an artistic medium in international exchange, in particular, has brought enhancing the appreciation of the printmaking, holding the print exhibitions, and publishing the print books during the 1950, 60s in Korea.
Korea acknowledged the prints as artworks relatively one or half a century later than the Western countries or Japan where the prints began to be produced as art pieces in late 19th century and early 20th century each. What is notable, however, is that the printmaking as a medium of expression has firstly bridged the gap between Korean and international art even though its inflow from the West was the latest among artistic media. From the perspective of seeing modern and contemporary art of Korea as receiving the Western art and striving to narrow the gap between them, the printmaking in the 1950, 60s gains its importance from the fact that it is the medium that achieved its objective in the shortest time; and especially, it shows an acceptance of abstract art, a representative style of international art, and efforts to enter the international stage.
Despite its historic significance, Korean printmaking has not been mainly discussed in Korean contemporary art so far. Previous studies only introduced briefly the contents of contemporary printmaking history, and relevant data have not been systematically organized. Thus, this thesis ranges its subject of study from the 1950s to 1960s, an introduction period of Korean contemporary printmaking, and the research begins from an investigation of the detailed materials. This study states the backgrounds of an emergence of Korean printmaking as a new medium of expression, and organizes the circumstances of the early stage of the contemporary printmaking field; besides, through analyzing the artworks of the First Generation-printmakers, it seeks the accomplishment and significance of the 1950, 60s’ Korean prints.
The backgrounds of producing the prints as artworks in Korea can be summarized as the Creative Printmaking Movement in Japan during the modern period and the inflow of the Western prints after the independence of Korea. Artist Choi, Jiwon active in the 1930s and JooHo-Hoe’s act proves the existence of the Korean artists who had appreciated the prints as artworks during the modern period. Massive Western prints, those were brought into Korea through foreign exhibitions for international culture-exchange held after its independence, has contributed to attract an interest in printmaking as a new medium of expression. An influence of the printmaking booming among the contemporaries in the U.S. has resulted in Korean artists’ mass production of the prints. The U.S. government regarded the printmaking as the most significant genre in Korean contemporary art, and offered opportunities to have more intensive education at the schools and studios in the States.
Korean contemporary printmaking in the 1950, 60s has continuously developed from the beginning. Major changes in Korean printmaking field can be listed as the foundation of the Korean Printmaker’s Association, the pursuit of internationalization in Korean art, and the beginning of the printmaking education. These changes resulted from the rapid growth of Korean contemporary printmaking, which was led by the First Generation-printmakers active in the 1950, 60s. Their artworks contain the desire of internationalization, and the primary methods to represent it are embracing the Western art while reflecting the Oriental or Korean elements at the same time. The First Generation-artists usually adopted Oriental subjects or motives, and applied Western styles to express them(the most direct way of expression). They also produced many abstract artworks which reflect an emotional or spiritual world based on the geometric forms, and preferred to representations with the writing-styles or symbols. This signifies that the Korean artists were attracted to the attributes in Western art, those were close to an esthetic sense or tradition of Korea. Although each of the First Generation-artists applied different methods, their objective was same as the internationalization of Korean art, which gives a clue to understand the reason of why the Korean printmaking could be acknowledged internationally and developed earlier than other artistic media. The fundamental significance of the 1950, 60s’ printmaking in Korean contemporary art is rooted in both of artworks and the medium of expression that contain artists’ desire and efforts to seek internationalization of Korean art.
This thesis is to organize the first-half of the Korean contemporary printmaking, and look into the accomplishment and significance of the Korean printmaking. This study hopes to contribute a groundwork for the further study on the Korean contemporary printmaking.