Modern and Contemporary Korean Art in Context (1950 - Now)

Jung-Sil Lee is Professorial Lecturer at George Washington University, USA and her books include Comfort Women: A Movement for Justice and Women's Rights in the US (2020). She has curated numerous art exhibitions dedicated to Asian art, including “Collateral Damage” (CUNY, New York, 2016) and the “Truth: Promise for Peace” traveling exhibition (2017) sponsored by Korean Minster of Gender Equality and Family.Dong-Yeon Koh is a critic, curator and adjunct Professor at Ewha Women's University, Korea. Koh is the author of nine books in English and in Korean including The Korean War and Postmemory Generation (2021), The Condition of Art Criticism (2019), and Soft-power: The Popularization Artistic Practices in East Asian Art (2018).

At a time when the world is increasingly drawn to Korean culture and K-Pop, this vibrantly illustrated book not only offers substantial explanations of quintessential artworks, but also provides insightful explanations about foremost Korean artists, art movements, and their environment. It effectively explains the historical, political, and cultural background of modern and contemporary Korea, shedding light on the circumstances that gave birth to the creation of important works of art.

• AcknowledgementsContentsNote to ReadersIntroductionChapter 1. Shaping Korean Modernism: Memories of Colonialism, Korean War, and Postcolonialism (1950s-1960s)i. Wartime Korean Art: The Korean War as a Cold War Proxyii. Korean Modernism: Intersection of National Identity and Abstractioniii. Gender Politics in Colonial and Postcolonial Koreaiv. Art Informel: Confluence of the Eastern Spirituality and the Western Formalismv. New Wave and Experimental Avant Garde GroupsChapter 2. Modernity, Modern Art, and its Discontents (1970s-1990s)i. Dansaekhwa: Korean Monochrome Paintingii. Minjung Misul: People's Art and Democratizationiii. Korean American Diaspora (1960s-1990s)iv. Redefining Traditional Korean Ink Paintingv. Modern Architecture and Public MemorializationChapter 3. The Globalization of the Korean Artworld and Rise of Consumerism (1989-2003)i. The Rise of Consumer Culture in the Post-Olympic Eraii. The Era of Popular and Consumer Culture and Sogroup Undongiii. The Globalization of the Korean Art World and Korean Expatriate Artistsiv. The Rise of Women Artist Collective and Feminist Art in Korea, 1990sv. Beyond the Old Institutional Framework: Alternative Places in the Late 1990sChapter 4. Inclusion and Diversity: Beyond the Myth of Ethnic Nationalism (2003-2023)i. Ethnic Nationalism and Growing Discontent in the Post-IMF Eraii. Historical Tragedies and the Postmemory Generation in Artsiii. Urbanization and Art: New Cities and Old Communitiesiv. Media Art After Paik Namjune: A Double Attitude Towards Technologyv. The Myth of Pure-Bloodedness: Cultural, Sexual and Racial DiversityEpilogueList of IllustrationsBibliographyIndex