Come see my work @ the AMT Show opening on May 15th!
THESIS SUMMARY
Visualizing the Origins of Dissent in DPRK (the last Stalinist state)
is a mixed-media examination and exploration of the art controlling
totalitarian state of North Korea and the “soon to come” images of
dissent.
THESIS STATEMENT
The relationship between visual language and visual culture inspired
this exploration. If culture is human expression, how do images shape
our understanding of experiences today? North Korea is censorship in
its purest form. In the “Democratic People’s Republic” of Korea,
art is under complete control. Artists there are strictly limited to
producing propaganda for the state. Art is for the nation; individual
expression is forbidden. Art there has always been in the service of
power since its inception as a means to communicate and to guide
people. But what happens when that power comes into question? What
would individual expression look like if it opposed the status quo?
What would the first forms of graffiti look like in North Korea?
Visualizing the Origins of Dissent in DPRK (the last Stalinist state)
is a mixed-media examination and exploration of the “soon to come”
images of dissent. This exploration solidifies its content in many
forms, one of which is an interactive form of propaganda that engages
the viewer in a visual poll. Another comes in the form of defaced
portraits of the “Dear Leaders” that hang in every room in North
Korea, including subway trains, movie theaters, and libraries. The
last is a representation of the secretive state and it’s current
leader underlying symbolic meanings and origins of piñatas (???).
Enjoy!
Come see my work @ the AMT Show opening on May 15th!
THESIS SUMMARY
Visualizing the Origins of Dissent in DPRK (the last Stalinist state)
is a mixed-media examination and exploration of the art controlling
totalitarian state of North Korea and the “soon to come” images of
dissent.
THESIS STATEMENT
The relationship between visual language and visual culture inspired
this exploration. If culture is human expression, how do images shape
our understanding of experiences today? North Korea is censorship in
its purest form. In the “Democratic People’s Republic” of Korea,
art is under complete control. Artists there are strictly limited to
producing propaganda for the state. Art is for the nation; individual
expression is forbidden. Art there has always been in the service of
power since its inception as a means to communicate and to guide
people. But what happens when that power comes into question? What
would individual expression look like if it opposed the status quo?
What would the first forms of graffiti look like in North Korea?
Visualizing the Origins of Dissent in DPRK (the last Stalinist state)
is a mixed-media examination and exploration of the “soon to come”
images of dissent. This exploration solidifies its content in many
forms, one of which is an interactive form of propaganda that engages
the viewer in a visual poll. Another comes in the form of defaced
portraits of the “Dear Leaders” that hang in every room in North
Korea, including subway trains, movie theaters, and libraries. The
last is a representation of the secretive state and it’s current
leader underlying symbolic meanings and origins of piñatas (???).
Enjoy!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cPb45tzgdQ&NR=1[/youtube]
I want that alarm clock. haha.
Enjoy!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cPb45tzgdQ&NR=1[/youtube]
I want that alarm clock. haha.
Enjoy!
These recent photographs from North Korea are just jaw dropping. Although I’ve been heavily researching and researching, and it never really leads me to a straight path where I can see the end. I check the news everyday and search “North Korea” in every major news provider and try to fit the new puzzle pieces as the image starts revealing itself. Yet, North Korea stays a mystery within a mystery.
”News stories about North Korea have been quite frequent recently, with their test launch of a rocket over Japan, withdrawal from nuclear disarmament talks coupled with a threat to restart their nuclear program, reports that their nuclear attack capabilities may be larger than previously thought - and their recent arrest and indictment of two U.S. reporters on its border with China. Even with all this attention, photographs from North Korea are still restricted and hard to come by. One way around that has been for photographers to peer inside from across the border, a pastime that has also spurred a level of curious tourism in both neighboring South Korea and China. Collected here are a some recent photographs, looking into reclusive North Korea from the outside - and some of the reactions these observations induce.”
(via BP)
These recent photographs from North Korea are just jaw dropping. Although I’ve been heavily researching and researching, and it never really leads me to a straight path where I can see the end. I check the news everyday and search “North Korea” in every major news provider and try to fit the new puzzle pieces as the image starts revealing itself. Yet, North Korea stays a mystery within a mystery.
”News stories about North Korea have been quite frequent recently, with their test launch of a rocket over Japan, withdrawal from nuclear disarmament talks coupled with a threat to restart their nuclear program, reports that their nuclear attack capabilities may be larger than previously thought - and their recent arrest and indictment of two U.S. reporters on its border with China. Even with all this attention, photographs from North Korea are still restricted and hard to come by. One way around that has been for photographers to peer inside from across the border, a pastime that has also spurred a level of curious tourism in both neighboring South Korea and China. Collected here are a some recent photographs, looking into reclusive North Korea from the outside - and some of the reactions these observations induce.”
(via BP)
[caption id=”attachment_171” align=”aligncenter” width=”622” caption=”China has held a fleet review off the port of Qingdao to celebrate the 60th anniversary of its modern navy. Naval helicopters performed fly-pasts over the warships.”]
[/caption]
And look who was there…
[caption id=”attachment_172” align=”aligncenter” width=”622” caption=”Among the visitors were some North Korean officials.”]
Check out the slideshow. They have great pictures!
(via BBC)
-Enjoy!
[caption id=”attachment_171” align=”aligncenter” width=”622” caption=”China has held a fleet review off the port of Qingdao to celebrate the 60th anniversary of its modern navy. Naval helicopters performed fly-pasts over the warships.”][/caption]
And look who was there…
[caption id=”attachment_172” align=”aligncenter” width=”622” caption=”Among the visitors were some North Korean officials.”]
Check out the slideshow. They have great pictures!
(via BBC)
-Enjoy!
Kim Jong-il had not appeared in public since last year
“Having comrade Kim Jong-il at the highest post of our country again is a great honour and happiness,” a newscaster said on state-run television.
Mr Kim, 67, has ruled the impoverished nation of 24 million with absolute authority since his father’s death in 1994. (via BBC)
(originally posted on 2009/03/03)
The relationship of visual language and visual culture inspired this exploration. Every image means something. Who gets to decide in a certain society on what can be seen and what can not? Who places the good and the bad? If Culture is human expression, then years from now what will people think of our generation today? How will these images shape someones understanding of our experiences? This lead me to thinking why the concept of censorship even exists and in what places now do they censor the most? North Korea was the final stop (censorship at its ideal). In the “Democratic People’s Republic” of Korea (North Korea), art is under control. If you were to be an artist you are strictly limited to a path of heavily surveillanced propaganda art, or paint landscapes. Art if for the nation and individual expression is not only forbidden, but it is seen as irrelevant. North Korea is “propaganda heaven”.
Art has always been at the service of power ever since the idea of art as a way to communicate to a large group of people. I began to think about these propaganda artists in NK and what they might do if they were afflicted to new information and ideas to explore more, to explore the truth. What would a response to propaganda look like? What would the first forms of graffiti look like in North Korea?
To North Korea, image is everything.
