한국 근대의 기하학적 추상 디자인과 추상미술 담론: 1920-30년대의 잡지 표지 디자인을 중심으로

Abstract

This paper researched and analyzed the geometric abstract cover design of Korean Modern magazines in 1920-30s. These designs are worthy of notice because in the history of Korean modern art there are a few abstract paintings including geometric ones. This paper surveyed geometric abstract cover design of five kinds of modern magazines-<Siningan(New Human)>, <Sidae gongron(Public Discourse of Times)>, <Haebang(Liberation)>, <Jaeilsun(The First Line)>, <Singyedan(New Stair)>, <Sinsegi(New Century)> which were published from late 1920s to middle 1930s. These geometric abstract cover designs represented a new vision for upcoming modern age and their will to construct the modern society of a new culture. Magazines' titles mean new human, new century, new stair of future, the first line forwards new culture. These geometric cover designs were introduced and disseminated through several ways. Designer such as An Sukju who studied in the early 1920s of Japan composed some new types of abstract cover. Lee Soonsuk learned his Bauhaus style abstract design in Tokyo Art School and had a welcome-home show including several book cover designs of geometric abstract. Kim Gyutaek, a cartoonist and illustrator designed most covers of <Jaeilsun>, which were similar to Japanese commercial graphic design. Some Korean designers and students could read <Gendai shogyo bijutsui zenshu(The Complete Commercial Artist)>, a twenty-four volume illustrated compendium of commercial design published in Japan, which was owned by Gyonsung Commercial High School library. Magazines published in Japan like <Genchiku sekai(World of Construction)> flowed to colony Chosun and these magazines gave a chance to see new geometric abstract designs. Geometric abstract images, a sign of modernism, visible on magazines covers could not be seen on the painting canvas of same period. In the champ of art discourse, a hegemony was in the mouths of nationalists and socialists and the modernism painting was criticized as art decadent. In the late 1930s, some new artists who took a avant-garde attitude and learned geometric abstract painting in Japan asserted that Korean art scene must accept their abstract paintings. But the geometric abstract painting was rejected by a conservative painter O Ziho and criticised by a aesthetician and Gyongsung university professor Go Yusup, a socialist writer Im Wha and other intellectuals, whose critics influenced the young avant-garde artists. The artists compromised their abstract. Therefore a sign of nationality and traditionality or morality and spirituality such as a white porcelain, a cow and a mountain appeared in their painting afterward. This eclecticism met a need of times. The times of colonized nation made the intellectuals not be able to accept modernism, a symbol of capitalism of empire, commodities of colonial commerce, without a compensation of ethics. But the magazine cover area was free from this claim for ethics because their position in hierarchy of images was low. Abstract image was on the border line between high art and low commercial design.