金蓉 日燮(1900-1975)의 後期 佛像 硏究

Abstract

Kǔmyong Ilsŏp (金蓉 日燮, 1900-1975) was a Buddhist monk who carved statues of the Buddha. His work manufactured in his late phase well shows the stylistic transition of the statues of Buddha from the traditional type to the modern style. Ilsŏp made statues of Buddha approximately 40 years from the 1920s to 1975 when he passed into Nirvana. His carving style fundamentally changed in 1951 when he moved his workplace from Gimje in North Jeonra Province to Daegu; thus his carving style could be divided into the early (1935-1950) and late phase (1951-1975). In addition, based on the regional stylistic community of the statue of Buddha, his objects could be categorized into the Jeonbuk phase and the Daegu phase respectively. The late phase statues of Buddha classified into the Daegu phase exhibits stylistic development based on the establishment of his own stylish characteristics in the early phase that shows the mature mutual expression, the ideal human body proportion and the decent and dignified appearance of body. In the 1960s, his work presented stylistic forms characterized by variant dressing type that right shoulder is bare, finger style that right hand extended downward, the thin dress fold and the realistic dressing style. These stylistic changes are postulated to be that his working style was influenced by the late phase Silla’s statues of the Buddha since he moved his workplace to Daegu and North Gyeongsang province where Silla style statues were extensively distributed. In addition, when Ilsŏp repaired statues of Buddha manufactured by another person, he changed these statues to his own style. This shows the expression of his self-confidence as a producer of the statue of the Buddha. In the late phase, Ilsŏp created various types’ statues of the Buddha; he explained the expressing method of icon and the name of statue in his books. Through these, it could directly be identified in his concept of statue and religious background. In addition, his late phase work shows the typical characteristic that the style of statues of the Buddha was intermingled with the traditional factors of the previous statues that were chosen and transformed by him. This is the characteristic of modern Buddhist art including works of Ilsŏp and pictures painted by the 20th century’s monk artists that factors of expression of different phase was compositively expressed in one framework. It could be noticeable that Ilsŏp attempted to adopt new method in his work, such as mould of statues of the Buddha and new materials adopted in the modern times including plaster, cement and cashew. This new technique and material had the advantage to reduce the time of production considerably. It could be inferable that he adopted various methods to produce a number of quantities of order in his late phase. This reveals that the contemporary aspect of the Buddhist art characterized by mass establishment of Buddhist temple. However, on the other hand, he was maintaining the traditional production method. In this context, his work well shows his positive way to adopt new technique and material, but it was based on the traditional framework. These characteristics well shows his experimental and open mind that was not bound by conventionality and the self-confidence to shape statues of the Buddha. These are important factors that Ilsŏp was the leading monk of Buddhist sculpture who was a leading figure of the modern Buddhist artist group.