ABSTRACT
The development of modern abstract painting in Korea is closely connected to the political and social history of the country. The old kingdom of Korea, dubbed the "Hermit Kingdom," had attempted to close its borders to foreign influences. However, by the mid-nineteenth century, Korea became increasingly exposed to the international community and was confronted with forces of integration such as pressure to conduct overseas commerce, military aggressions from foreign empires, religious missions, and tourism. Along with the onslaught of such forces came cultural forms from the West, including a novel mode of painting using new materials, techniques, and aesthetics called suh'yang hwa (Western-style painting). Introduced to Korea via Japan, suh'yang hwa soon gained followers and secured footing in the art community, making it necessary to define traditional painting in terms of its differences from Western-style painting. The designations suh'yang hwa and dong'yang hwa (Korean-style painting) came to denote two separate painting cultures, perpetuating the notion that Korean painting was bound to tradition and conventions while Western-style painting was novel and modern. 1
