Long-term foreign resident exhibits 50 years of photography in Korea
A poster for Tom Coyner's photo exhibition / Courtesy of Tom Coyner
After half a century spent living in Korea, U.S. photographer Tom Coyner is exhibiting his work at his first solo gallery exhibition. Fifteen framed prints, several unframed prints for sale and a large number of his photos displayed on a large monitor, dating back to his arrival with the Peace Corps in 1975, will be displayed at KOTE Gallery in central Seoul's Insa-dong neighborhood from Sept. 15-20.
Coyner came to Korea in August 1975, starting off training English teachers at a rural middle school, and later developing an advanced English and American society course for the Ministry of Agriculture. Throughout his two-year stint, he was busy snapping pictures with his camera.
"It was an interesting challenge of temples, landscapes and people," he said of his photographic adventures in the 1970s. "Much of the time, I waited impatiently for people to get out of the way of my temple shots, only to regret years later, as they gave important time anchors to the timeless temples."
Unlike today, when nearly everyone has a smartphone in their pocket capable of snapping good quality photos, there were fewer rules about public photography in the 1970s, when cameras were much more rare. Coyner got into the habit of approaching people to ask for permission before aiming his camera.
"Many Koreans were thin-skinned about how the rest of the world viewed them and sometimes refused to be photographed," he said. "However, most people were pretty open and cooperative."
Tom Coyner in 2024 / Courtesy of Sue Young
He added: "One rule I have kept over the past 50 years has been if the person does not wish to be photographed, I honor his or her wishes. There are always other, sometimes better, photographs just around the corner."
Coyner began studying photography in 1967 while in high school, and kept at it over the decades as he acquired new equipment and software and moved to different countries.
"A single person's journey through the years in part defines the images' character. Photographs are very much a reflection of the photographer," he said.
"Among other things, serious photography is a philosophy that trains one to continuously 'take photographs,' even without a camera, or these days a smartphone. Photography trains one to observe details many people overlook. Moreover, one often makes mental compositions of one's observations," he said. "As an actual introvert, the camera has given me an alibi to approach strangers. In doing so, I have forced myself to be engaged with strangers, if only for a moment — but those brief moments can be wonderful."
After he finished his two years with the Peace Corps in Korea, he stayed in Seoul working for The Chase Manhattan Bank in Seoul. He then spent a decade each in California and Japan, while making frequent return trips to Korea.
Coyner has had opportunities to share his photos over the years, whether on social media or in newspaper columns, and once in an exhibition hosted by the Irish Embassy.
He said that people have been urging him to display his photos in a proper gallery.
"Several people have been badgering me, but I have resisted due to the expense. I have seen one-man small exhibitions self-financed by the artist, but I have largely found them to be vanity projects. I would rather spend the money on photo gear or travel expenses," he said.
The biggest challenge in preparing for this exhibition has been going through decades of photo archives, determining which images to spotlight.
"I have hundreds of thousands of images, so selection has been a big challenge — particularly in delivering a coherent theme," he said. "I have settled upon people-only photos from 50 years ago to current times that show the intrinsic, robust personalities that make up the Korean people. After the exhibition, I'm launching a new photo service, SeoulMan Images, which offers digital files and prints of Asia as well as elsewhere."
Makgeolli will be served during an opening reception starting at 6 p.m. on Sept. 16. Visit @kote.kr on Instagram for more information.