Individuality in Korean Art
Considering the ancient art of Korea, unfortunately, not much is known. The country of Korea has been constantly shaped and reshaped by existing civilizations, namely, China. Korea's vulnerability geographically, has made Korea constantly throughout history open to many influences- namely China. Despite this overwhelming influx of alien influence from China, Korea's art forms indeed had maintained it's individuality. The Chinese and Korean peoples are very different; ethnically, and culturally. Therefore, even though Korea did attempt to mimic styles from the Chinese, it still maintained it's overall individualistic forms. In my paper I would like to emphasize the marked individuality of Korea. That throughout Korea's art history, Korea was not just another, "Chinese province."
Understanding the Korean people is important in understanding the individual nature of their art throughout time. Ethnically, the Korean people are a mixture of central Asian tribes, settling down, during the Neolithic times, on the peninsula of Korea. These tribes mixed with an already existing people, the jomons, a Caucasoid people. The uniqueness in this mixture can be seen in it's early Neolithic art. like its pottery with combed surfaces; typically found in Siberian areas, and rarely found in China. Koreans during the Neolithic times, have constructed dolmens. "These dolmens offer further confirmation of the north Asian origin of the early Korean peoples, especially since they are encountered frequently in northern Asia but have not been found in China." (3, Moes) It was this originating factor that founded the unique fundamental culture of Korea, "...early tribes from Manchuria, Mongolia and Siberia were the main a...
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... been shaped, by the likes of the Chinese culture, however, the Korean people, have kept its distinct art. It eloquently expresses the qualities of the land and its people When free from the entire need to imitate. Chinese models, Korean art abounds in vitality, directness, strength, joy and a beguiling naivet*. Unpretentious, directness, ruggedness, spontaneity, and appeal as well as uniqueness." (Moes, 20) Like its people, Korean art mirrors and fuses its past present and future, allowing distinct external influences, but always, undoubtedly allowing its originating self shine through. Through its indigenous central Asian origins to its influence from the Chinese, to inevitable Westernization.
Works cited:
Moes, Robert J. Korean Art. Universe Books, New York; 1987.
Swann, Peter C. Art of China, Korea and Japan. Frederick A. Praeger, Inc., New York; 1963.
The deeply rooted history of a Confucian paradigm in Korea has for long limited women’s roles and rights. In the male-dominated and patriarchal society, women’s roles remained in the domestic sphere, where they were required to be submissive. However, with the introduction of westernization and modernity in the 1920s, modern generation was rapidly incorporated into colonial modernity. Korean women began to “redefine the Korean female identity” by displaying the “new woman” characteristics, in which some literate women initiated to “enhance their education, determine their own physical appearance, and contribute to the debate about changing gender roles and expectations”(Yoo, p.59) Fearing the threat of the emergence of the “new women” with
Martin Luther King Jr. once stated, “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope” (Brainy Quotes). Even though a nation agonizes over its collapse, it must never lose its optimistic views for the future. Korea was a nation that was annexed, however the determination for liberation was never diminished. Korea became a colony of Japan in 1910 for its natural resources and also for its territory which had an advantageous position, geographically. Thousands of Koreans who resisted annexation were killed by the Japanese military. During these years under the Japanese rule, the Koreans suffered greatly as the men were forced into extreme labor while the women were bounded into prostitution. Although the majority of Koreans detested the Japanese occupation, they were impotent against the Japanese harsh reign. Developments in industrial activities also took place, partially encouraged by the Japanese government, overall however the country’s citizens were living in destitution. Only the Japanese government was gaining resources and wealth, while Koreans were forced into harsh labor. In 1945, Korea was liberated from this sadistic rule partially due to its continuous efforts for freedom.
“The faint figure behind seemed to shake the pattern, just as if she wanted to get out.” The woman had started seeing another female in the wallpaper, imprisoned behind bars and shaking the paper to be freed. The wallpaper began depreciating, and so did the conquering influence that male hierarchy forced on women. Women arose to reason out of line, be conscious of their overthrow, and conflict patriarchal statute. The development of the yellow wallpaper and the narrator, within the story, indicates to a triumph over John.
The Art Bulletin, Vol. 57, No. 2 (Jun., 1975), pp. 176-185. (College Art Association), accessed November 17, 2010. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3049368.
At the start of the meditation, Descartes begins by rejecting all his beliefs, so that he would not be deceived by any misconceptions from reaching the truth. Descartes acknowledges himself as, “a thing that thinks: that is, a thing that doubts, affirms, denies, understands a few things, is ignorant of many things” He is certain that that he thinks and exists because his knowledge and ideas are both ‘clear and distinct’. Descartes proposes a general rule, “that whatever one perceives very clearly and very distinctly is true” Descartes discovers, “that he can doubt what he clearly and distinctly perceives is true led to the realization that his first immediate priority should be to remove the doubt” because, “no organized body of knowledge is possible unless the doubt is removed” The best probable way to remove the doubt is prove that God exists, that he is not a deceiver and “will always guarantee that any clear and distinct ideas that enter our minds will be true.” Descartes must remove the threat of an invisible demon that inserts ideas and doubts into our minds to fool us , in order to rely on his ‘clear and distinct’ rule.
Today, Japanese and Korean civilizations are advanced, wealthy, and independent with their own system of government and religious beliefs due to the influences from China. The majority of Asia experienced changes in government and dealt with inter and intra state conflicts when the countries were most susceptible to influences from alliances made with other countries. The Tang Dynasty/ Silla alliance shaped the future of Korea’s religious and government movements. Art and literature from China also greatly impacted Korea’s and Japan’s society and provided new insight into literary expression through new forms of poetry and a new system of writing. Religion was also a major influence because of popularity and acceptance of new views and beliefs. Agriculture played an important role in the development of Korean and Japanese civilizations because new tools and forms of irrigation led to more efficient harvesting. The bulk of Chinese influence impacted Japanese society through the Heian period and Korea was heavily influenced by Chinese culture during the period when Silla unified Korea. Although there were many factors of Chinese culture that influenced Korean and Japanese civilizations, religion and government legislation had the most impact.
Fukuoka, Yasunori “Koreans in Japan: Past and Present,” Saitama University Review, vol. 31, no.1, 1996.
Wall-Paper.'." The Captive Imagination: A Casebook on "The Yellow Wallpaper". Ed. Catherine Golden New York: Feminist Press, 1992. 307-318. Rpt. in Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism. Vol. 201. Detroit: Gale, 307-318. Literature Resource Center. Gale. VALE - Essex County College. 15 Nov. 2009 .
During the period of Medici’s ruling, politics and government was corrupted. In order to stop it, Niccolò Machiavelli wrote The Prince, stating the qualities for a successful ruler, to convince the Medici Family to start ruling Florence appropriately. He used his knowledge to deceive the Medici family in hope that the end justifies the means. Besides the main purpose of The Prince, Felix Gilbert claims Machiavelli was also signifying crucial insight to how the prince should act due to the fact that we live in an imperfect world, where politics is a science, and in order to keep society alive the prince must preserve his state and power.
This quote refers to the diversity in Los Angeles and how people put up personal barriers and are hesitant to trust others. Crash is a movie that really gets people to look at their own prejudices and to the roots of their morality by showing the hidden racism and prejudices that are very present in our society and even in ourselves today.
Within meditation one Descartes subjects all of his beliefs regarding sensory data and even existence to the strongest and most hyperbolic of doubts. He invokes the notion of the all powerful, malign demon who could be deceiving him regarding sensory experience and even his understanding of the simplest mathematical and logical truths in order to attain an indubitable premise that is epistemologically formidable. In meditation one Descartes has three areas of doubt, doubt of his own existence, doubt of the existence of God, and doubt of the existence of the external world. Descartes’ knowledge of these three areas are subjected to three types of scepticism the first where he believes that his senses are being deceived ‘these senses played me false, and it is prudent never to trust entirely those who have once deceived us’. The second of the forms of scepticism revolves around whether Descartes is dreaming or not ‘I see so clearly that there are no conclusive signs by means of which one can distinguish between being awake and being asleep’. The aforementioned malign demon was Descartes third method of doubt as he realised God would not deceive him.
Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. "The Yellow Wallpaper." Women's Work - An Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Barbara Perkins, Robyn Warhol, and George Perkins. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1994. 640-650.
In this interview Ben Bagley asks Theresa Han about the difference between Korean and American culture. Theresa is a teenager who recently moved to the United States so she has an excellent perspective for understanding the differences and similarities between these countries.
Many climate scientists, researchers, and environmentalists are expressing concerns about shifts in the overall climate of the earth. It is believed that a dramatically dangerous warming is taking place in the overall global climate, a problem that is referred to as "global warming”. Global warming is the observed century-scale rise in the average temperature of Earth’s climate system. This temperature rise is due to the damaging effects of deforestation and the burning of fossil fuels. It is our responsibility to preserve our planet and our way of living but in order to do that we need to act now. If we continue to destroy the planet with no regard as to how serious this matter is there could be several negative effects to us as human being and other living thing on Earth. This is why global warming is truly a global issue and needs to be tackled collectively. We must to act now in order to reduce the dangerous levels of carbon dioxide emissions and we must to work together.
In the second meditation he has found one true fact, "I think, therefore I am". Descartes then attempts to discover what this "I" is and how it perceives reality. The "I" is a body, a soul, and a thinking thing. It gains perception and recognition through the senses, the imagination, and the mind. He runs into two major problems in these meditations. The first was the existence of reality. The second is the connection between body and mind as he defines them.