Korea possesses a long tradition of landscape painting, tracing back to the tomb murals of the early part of the common era. The majority of known landscape works were made during the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910). One of the most important achievements in landscape painting during this period was the development of “true view” landscape painting. These paintings depicted special and sacred places in Korea in innovative ways. We will explore these places through the eyes of the artist involved in these ground breaking developments..
Though Chinese art history has not included a formal genre of still lifes as in the Western tradition, depictions of fruit, objects of material culture such as knick-knacks or wealth such as antiquities, and flowers and plants as auspicious symbols have been portrayed with regularity. This presentation will trace the aesthetic principles and examples of Chinese still lifes from the Song dynasty (960-1279) to the modern/ contemporary period.
More soon: Have you thought of our numbers being Arabic? Watch for a bookbinding workshop. Nov 23rd: Rapper
Exhibition at The Mingei International Museum, Sep 14, 2024 - Mar 16, 2025
Location, Guest Co-Curated by Barbara Hanson Forsyth and Co-Curated by Emily Hanna.
Blue Gold is focused on the intertwined histories of art and science, past and present, addressing some of the most complex challenges of our century. Featuring stunning objects of creative expression, coupled with scientific study and explanation, Mingei’s exhibition will present indigo as a compelling manifestation of art and science.
Indigo—a varied plant family that grows worldwide and the deep, blue dye it produces—has a long and multifaceted history of cultivation, production, and distribution. Blue Gold combines science, craft, and history to explore this color’s complex past and present. Indigo’s beauty and ubiquity have eclipsed the unpleasant realities of its growth and manufacture, including hard labor and pollution, and its association with colonialism and slavery. As a pigment, indigo has been assigned protective properties, healing powers, and dangerous qualities that have shaped its uses in craft and the arts.
The exhibition highlights the roles of botany, chemistry, medicine, ecology, and economics in indigo cultivation. Contemporary craftspeople and artists working with indigo, such as Laura Kina and Porfirio Gutierrez, address questions about the sustainability of indigo, its problematic legacies, and technological alternatives to manual processing.