More than paint: Asian culture through Realism

By Ines Min

``He who cannot draw on 3,000 years is living hand-to-mouth,’’ Goethe once said, highlighting the necessity of understanding one’s history. Three thousand years might be tough for some to swallow, but an exhibition in downtown Seoul is offering a 100-year slice of Asian art to enlighten minds to the perspectives of the time.

``Realism in Asian Art’’ on display through Oct. 10 at the National Museum of Art, Deoksugung, examines 104 selected works _ many of which are making their Korean debut _ to provide insight into the cultural, societal and ethical mindset of Asian ancestors, far clearer than any history book could provide.

Brought together from 10 different countries and organized in conjunction with the National Art Gallery, Singapore, the exhibition focuses on Realism not as a style, but an attitude.

``The verisimilitude in representing likeness of objects and forms enable artists to adopt an analytical attitude towards socio-political issues,’’ according to a curatorial essay on the exhibition. ``Unlike Cubism or any other pictorial expressions for that matter, Realism is far more complex given its philosophical underpinnings, and its uneasy relationship with perception and reality.’’

Joyce Fan, the Singaporean curator, walked through the exhibition with The Korea Times to offer in-depth explanations. The show, organized into five sections, begins by establishing Realism as a representation of the people’s growing consciousness from the mid-19th century to the 1980s

``There is a sudden awareness across the East beginning to rise as people get educated,’’ said Fan, referring to the slackening of monarchic rule in Thailand during the 19th century. ``There is now more opportunity for them to travel to Europe... and they became aware of this so-called nationality, their ethnic national identity.’’

Filipino Juan Senson’s ``Partial View of the Town of Angono and Bay of Laguna’’ is the oldest painting in the exhibition, created during the 1850s. The large-scale piece by the painter, typically known for his religious work and smaller paintings, shows a panoramic view of a village next to the bay, featuring images of farmers at work and boats in the far background.

``This is one of the rare attempts by the artist to do a genre scene,’’ Fan said, adding that this was during the time the Philippines was under Spanish rule. The boats, she explained, include both traditional rafts and new steamboats, indicating the changing of the times while remaining faithful to the culture.

One misconception of Southeast Asian art is that it merely followed the trends of Western influence, or simply other East Asian countries, as opposed to innovating on its own. Moving onto the lacquered ``Landscape of Vietnam’’ by Nguyen Gia Tri, Fan explains that the medium _ originally used in artwork in Japan, but only for protection against nature’s forces in Vietnam till that point _ leapt into the art world on the strength of the Vietnamese artists.

Later, during colonization by the French, this tide of originality continued to show within the art world in Vietnam, leading to the establishment of major art schools.

``They were experienced in the [Western] skills, but also innovative,’’ Fan said. ``The artists didn’t just copy, but would use those Western techniques and tried to assimilate it into their own work.’’

The exhibition continues to trace the lines of development through the remaining gallery halls, which are categorized into: ``The Rural as an Attitude and Metaphor,’’ ``Hail the Worker,’’ ``Impact of War,’’ and ``Social Commentary and Criticism.’’

The strength of the collection is something to be noted. With more than three years of research and preparatory time behind the exhibition, it is a show that has the potential to teach valuable lessons to its visitors. Saturated with history to be gleaned, the galleries are even accompanied by an original score to enhance the ambiance.

With so much information, the exhibition proves to be difficult material at times, as laden with the significance each brushstroke represents. To the undiscerning eye, it would be simple to glide over masterpieces without so much as a blip, were there to be a dearth of necessary background information _ i.e. a fairly well-informed history of Asia during the focused time frame.

At the same time, simple accessibility is rendered irrelevant with the number of important works and messages present. In the end, ``Realism in Asian Art’’ is less about catering to the masses with no motivation to provide unique insights. Instead, it focuses on bringing new understanding, reinforcing the power of Asian art, and the role of creative outlets during times of upheaval and change.

``In Asia, although we are always moving forward with Western culture, we constantly need to embrace who we are,’’ Fan said. ``It is through this exhibition that we can actually discover how we are connected with all the Asian countries.’’

For more information visit asia.moca.go.kr (Korean only), or some English information is available at the exhibition.