박서보의 <묘법(描法)>에 나타난 ‘무위(無爲)’의 미학과 단색화의 정체성에 관한 연구

Abstract

‘Wu-wei (無爲, Being spontaneous)’ explained the unique creative method of Korean artists, including Park Seo-bo, in the 1970s, who ‘emptied’ images with traces of repetitive actions on a single colored surface. Thus, it served as an aesthetic keyword for Dansaekhwa, Korean Monochrome Painting. It was evaluated as an ‘achievement of Korean art – modernism based on East Asian philosophy. However, many studies have argued that the concept of ‘wu-wei’ does not guarantee the original nature of Dansaekhwa. They pointed out its logical limitations due to the ambiguity of the concept itself. However, in those studies, the concept of ‘wu-wei’ was interpreted to a literal and superficial meaning, thereby being misleadingly discussed as contemporary aesthetics. Park Seo-bo(朴栖甫: 1931-2023) is a pioneering figure of Korean abstract art and devoted his life as a ‘The Untiring Endeavorer’ through the creation of ‘The Art of Emptying’. He identified the ironic principles of painting as ‘pure spontaneous(無爲) vibration’ based on Daoism. This study reviewed the main propositions of Daoist philosophy related to ‘wu-wei’ and specified and thoroughly examined the concept of ‘pure spontaneous vibration’ as the multi-layerd implications of ‘wu-wei’ in Dansaekhwa. This proves the inherent unique aesthetics of Dansaekhwa, expressed as the artistic embodiment of ‘wu-wei’. This study aims to promote proper appreciation of Dansaekhwa based on an understanding of the artist’s philosophical thoughts and expression methods and suggest East Asian philosophical thinking as a more appropriate critical paradigm for further studies on the identity of Korean modern abstract art.