瓦塼을 그리다― 한국 근현대 예술과 瓦塼의 에이전시(Agency)

Abstract

This paper, with the help of Alfred Gell’s theory, aims to examine how the components of ancient architecture, roof-end tile and brick specifically, came to the fore in the 20th century of Korea as material agent that mediated agency in various artistic fields. Roof-end tile and brick and their inscribed letters became the object of re-investigation in the modern, contemporary art of Korea. Imitated paintings of roof-end tile and brick, which copied letters from the ancient bronze objects, stand as an exemplar. This paper provides the types and background of imitated paintings of roof-end tile brick, and further finds the prototype of these imitated paintings from the ethnography guide books―such as『Jinshisuo(金石索)』 (1821)―published during the Qing dynasty. Roof-end tile and brick were admired in various ways; while valuable collection of such objects gave birth to rubbed painting, O Se-chang 吳世昌(1864~1953) newly featured the Jin and Han dynasties’ rubbed-inscription with the elements that comprise the cultural identity of Korea. Moreover, after Korea’s liberation from Japanese rule, roof-end tile and brick became a primary subject of embroidered folding-screen, which was usefully exported abroad as a signifier that ultimately represents Korean traditionality. Although embroidered folding screen of roof-end tile and brick was originally rendered to pursue auspiciousness by its letters, the buyers abroad, hence the recipient to which the screen’s calligraphy is illegible, transforms the index into a medium of simple ornamentation. This demonstrates how the meaning and the cultural context of the letter inscribed within the roof-end tile and brick imitation have changed and waned in the course of time.