Canadian rural photographer captures Korea's 'other' side

William R. Pugsley / Courtesy of William R. Pugsley

By Jon Dunbar

While most photographers in Korea are drawn to big city tourist attractions or well-known temples and other heritage sites out in the country, William R. Pugsley goes in the other direction. He's a "rural explorer" which is like an urban explorer, except he scours Korea's countryside looking for photographic subjects that resonate with him.

"I'm looking for a lost time. Ever since I came to Korea I've had a very real feeling of nostalgia for a past I've never participated in," he told The Korea Times in a written response to interview questions, handwritten on coarse hanji (traditional Korean paper). "Photographers are drawn to old things that have an interesting patina and I'm no exception. Many people love to see old photos which ironically show at that time modern scenes, but I think photographers like myself want to recapture that sense of old. I'm documenting the end of eras."

Earlier this year, he published the first issue of his DIY photo zine, "Photon Wave Function," and as of mid-May, The Korea Times office has received five different issues in the mail. Published in black and white on coarsely textured hanji, his work has a timeless feel, and the photos could have been taken 100 years ago, creating a sense of alienation from the modern world we know through contemporary photography.

"Oh feels alienated does it? Timeless?" he retorted in response to a question describing his work. "Well thank you very much, that's how it's supposed to feel."

A cityscape photographed by William R. Pugsley / Courtesy of Photon Wave Function

Pugsley's history with zine publishing dates back to the 1990s, when he contributed to a popular zine in Vancouver. "At the end of last year. I made the resolution to make a zine of my film photos to get them off the internet and experienced on paper," he said.

Pugsley has lived in South Chungcheong Province's Gyeryong since 2004, shortly after it became a city in 2003 after splitting away from Nonsan. "I loved it from the first moment," he said. "It's small, pretty and surrounded by countryside and the majestic Mount Gyeryong looming in the distance. The air here is fresh and the people are friendly. Gyeryong is peaceful, which is ironic since it's Korea's military headquarters. Living in a small town you get interested in small changes as well as the large, good or bad. The greatest asset to the town has to be its immediate access to the countryside. It's a five-minute walk into the hills and farmland."

He often spends weekends going out on photo journeys, driving around on his scooter to explore new roads or see what's changed along well-traveled roads, making several stops as he goes to look closer at certain views. "I never know til I see it," he said. "The ride is as much a part of the experience as the find."

He's also into train photography, finding good vistas and then shooting as trains come through. "I enjoy juxtaposing the KTX or ITX with a rural landscape ― the people who speed past vs the people who live slow," he said. "There is of course also a romantic mood of a train going through the country especially the slower-moving Mugungwha train. I imagine the city kids visiting their grandparents on the farm. Or if they're going between two cities, how they might wonder at the lonely landscape that they're so unfamiliar with pass by their window."

A bullet train contrasts with a farmer working in a field, photographed by William R. Pugsley. / Courtesy of Photon Wave Function

He visits closed train stations across the country. "These adventures can take me to remote areas I would never otherwise find and of course there are so many things to see along the way," he said. "These are magical places for me when a station still stands that once saw steam trains go by and the people waiting in the station. It's a little like detective work to locate some of these stations and a thrill when I find them."

Each issue is between 24 and 28 pages, focused on a specific subject, like "Other Places," "Other Homes," "Other People," "Other Cities" and "Other Trains."

"The common theme in my life has been reveling in being 'other' ― not in any 'in' group. Also, where I go to photograph is as far from the most popular spots in Korea. Other refers to the locations besides where everyone has seen too often," he explained.

"I'm not trying to evoke any isolated isolation feelings as a foreigner but the opposite. I found how similar country life is in any country. The cities differ but the feeling of the country is universal. Or maybe it's just the difference between city life and country life. How many times I'm reminded of growing up in BC when I see a country road or smell the cows or hear the dogs or birds or breeze."

A train crossing photographed by William R. Pugsley / Courtesy of Photon Wave Function

Remarkably, all five issues of the zine look and feel different from one another due to the hanji they're printed on, which have varied from issue to issue in weight, color and weave. The cover is often different from inner pages, and even the pages may have differing textures from one side to the other.

"I get excited when I go into a shop that sells paper of different styles," he said. "I've printed photos on various hanji and love the texture."

Most of his photography is shot in black and white on film. "Shooting black and white is the true representation of light," he said. "There is no inherent element of color in light ― it's all about intensity, reflection and shadows. I can process B&W at home in my darkroom, so that's an added bonus, though not the reason I've always shot mostly B&W all my life. I feel black-and-white is more isolating, it's not warm and inviting. And of course it's nostalgic or retro ― retro, I don't like that word retro. It's a timeless look."

But he's not against color photography, and hinted at the possibility of releasing a color issue of his zine someday.

The first five issues of photo zine Photon Wave Function, plus the author's handwritten message to The Korea Times / Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar

Pugsley said he came up with 12 subjects of focus. And with the work he's done so far, it seems likely he'll cover them all, with no worry of running out of material. Whether he keeps on going after that, we'll see.

Prints of his photographs are currently on display at Nonsan Cultural Center in South Chungcheong Province, until July 16. He expects the latest issue of the zine will be available there for free soon.

The zine is also available at the Nikon Store in Daejeon as well as a few coffee shops, but Pugsley has done most of his distribution one-to-one. He also mails out issues across the country. New issues are available for free for the first month, and back issues cost 5,000 won including postage. Anyone wishing to receive his zines should email billpugsley@yahoo.com.