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Hello, and welcome to the MMCA Donated Collection: Figurative Paintings in Korea, 1960s-1970s exhibition. In this Audio Guide, you are invited to look again at some of figurative paintings of the 1960s and the 70s from our collection. These figurative paintings have been crucial in the formation and growth of the Korean figurative art scene.
Figurative painting refers to a style that is epresentational and realistic. Since the advent of the camera in the 19th century, art has become less about documenting. Visual representation in a creative way was more emphasized in art.
Despite the social upheaval in Korea in the 1960s and 70s, figurative painting managed to carve out its own niche. But it didn’t get much attention because Abstraction became the dominant style in the contemporary art scene from the 1960s onward.
This exhibition is designed to facilitate viewers’ understanding of the figurative paintings from the 1960s and 70s that have been relatively overlooked. The paintings have been selected from the donated works between 2018 and 2023 and are arranged according to the flow of contemporary Korean art.
Even as times change and new styles of visual art emerge, it is undeniable that paintings that faithfully portray what is seen have solidified the foundation of Korean painting.
The artists who immersed themselves in figurative painting in the 1960s and 70s were determined to express the national sentiment and the spirit of the times and to find new meanings for figurative painting. Their contributions to Korean contemporary art are undeniable. Join us on a colorful journey through Korean figurative painting and discover the meanings of representational painting in contemporary art.
