Korean Beauty : Visual Expressions of a Timeless Spirit
Author : Robert Koehler
Publisher : Hollym
ISBN: 9781565915350
232 pages / 180 * 220 mm / 264 g
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| >>>This book is written in English. |
About This Book
There may be countless idioms about beauty in languages around the world, but to actually define beauty and how it is expressed by an entire culture is a formidable task. Fortunately for readers, Korean Beauty: Visual Expressions of a Timeless Spirit approaches the subject with an engaging, deeply enriching account of what has long constituted core elements of Korean beauty, from the philosophical and spiritual currents that run through the concept all the way to the artistic practicality of how this is carried out on a daily basis.
Uniquely Korean Expressions of Beauty
With a mixture of personal stories by someone who has traveled extensively around the country and fascinating insights about an aesthetic heritage developed over thousands of years, long-time Korea commentator and author Robert Koehler takes readers on a memorable trip into a land of breathtaking elegance and refinement that has influenced generation after generation of Koreans and the way they express beauty. As is clearly evident to anyone familiar with the country and its people, this sense of beauty can be generally characterized in terms such as grace, simplicity, rustic charm, and respect for nature. Of course, this ethereal sense of beauty and its functional application to day-to-day living goes far deeper than those broadly defined descriptions.
Beauty in Imperfection
Today, visitors to Korea will be quick to point out the polished beauty of everyday objects that can be purchased at both souvenir stands and high-end galleries, including bowls and plates, chopsticks and spoons, glassware and ceramics, and jokja (hanging scrolls featuring artwork and/or calligraphy) and sansuhwa (landscape paintings). And yet look below the surface and you will notice a uniquely Korean “artless art,” an ability to make difficult designs appear easy to create and a tendency to value the perfectly imperfect. This is even apparent in the largest of artistic productions, including Korea’s royal edifices like Gyeongbokgung Palace, Buddhist sanctuaries such as Gaesimsa Temple, and the traditional Korean homes (hanok) and their accompanying courtyards (madang) of Bukchon Hanok Village.
A Timeless Odyssey of Art and Beauty
Embark on a magical journey through the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites of Byeongsanseowon Confucian Academy and Changdeokgung Palace, marvel at age-old ramie weaving techniques in Hansan and the sublime works of Goryeo celadon from a thousand years ago, and indulge in Korea’s distinct palette of “five direction colors” through its obangsaek?no matter where you go within the country, Korea’s rich aesthetic is all around you at every step of the way.
Something for Everyone
From the Buddhist and Taoist notion that there is great beauty in emptiness, to the extravagant visual appeal of modern hanbok and Korean accessories and boudoir crafts, to the fascinating method behind how Dansaekhwa monochrome paintings are created, Korea has practiced its own way of celebrating beauty for millennia. For those who have already started learning about Korea through its Hallyu-led movies, music, and television shows, Korean Beauty: Visual Expressions of a Timeless Spirit will only galvanize you to further your learning about
the country and its profound, one-of-a-kind aesthetic. And for those just starting their odyssey down the road of Korean beauty, this book will inspire you to see more of the awe-inspiring splendor evident in this 5,000-yearold nation by experiencing Korea’s timeless spirit for yourself.
Table of Contents
Introduction ㆍ 9
Korean Aesthetics
Standards of the past ㆍ 16
Harmony between humans and nature ㆍ 16
Rustic simplicity ㆍ 26
Different Notions of Korean and
Western Beauty
Realism vs. true spirit ㆍ 38
Realistic vs. idealized worlds ㆍ 42
Grandeur vs. harmony ㆍ 45
The Beauty of Emptiness
Humanism ㆍ 61
Humor ㆍ 64
Preserving age-old aesthetic techniques ㆍ 69
More globalized tastes ㆍ 74
Korean Gyubang Crafts
The aesthetic of the slow ㆍ 82
Making it look simple ㆍ 84
Useful but exquisite ㆍ 86
Embroidery arts ㆍ 94
A magnificent folding screen ㆍ 100
A lavish robe ㆍ 102
Traditional Korean Architecture
Harmony with nature ㆍ 108
Tying it all together through the madang ㆍ 114
Rustic charm ㆍ 118
The borrowed landscape ㆍ 122
Hanbok
An outfit steeped in history ㆍ 132
The beauty of modesty ㆍ 133
Generosity, emptiness, nature ㆍ 136
Color contrasts ㆍ 139
Fabrics of nature ㆍ 142
A modern touch ㆍ 145
The Visual Arts
An idealized world: The Korean landscape painting ㆍ 148
Celadon: Beauty in greenish blue ㆍ 159
Porcelain (non) perfection: The moon jar ㆍ 162
Dansaekhwa: Korean minimalism meets modern art ㆍ 165
Korean handicrafts: Form equals function ㆍ 170
Folk art: Beauty for the masses ㆍ 179
Korean Accessories
Norigae ㆍ 184
Beoseon ㆍ 190
Flower shoes ㆍ 194
Traditional Korean hats for men ㆍ 198
The Korean World of Color
Obangsaek: The five colors of the cosmos ㆍ 208
Korean palaces: A sea of red ㆍ 210
Korea’s colorful cuisine ㆍ 214
Korean wedding attire ㆍ 217
The Korean flag: A nation of harmony ㆍ 218
Dancheong ㆍ 220
Epilogue ㆍ 226
