Contemporary Korean art in the 1960s and the 1970s reflects the social and political contexts in Korea from the 5ㆍ16 revolution through the Yoo Shin period. This paper investigates whether art has been free from power or not. It examines the power embedded in contemporary Korean art in the 1960s and the 1970s. This paper examines the historical moments of the Korean Art Exhibition, focusing on the complications between the abstract and figurative artworks of the 1960s. One of the significant art exhibitions since the 8ㆍ15 liberation of Korea, the Korean Art Exhibition witnessed conflict among Korean artists who wanted to have power in the art world of Korea. Institutional contradiction based on factionalism and conservatism prevailed in the Korean Art Exhibition was attacked by the avant-garde young artists in the 1960s. With the contact of Abstract Expressionism, young artists’ generation participated in the The Wall Exhibition. This exhibition challenged and established moral principles and visualized individual expression and creation similar to the Informal movement in the West. In the world of the traditional painting of Korea, the Mook Lim Exhibition of 1960, organized by young artists of traditional painting, advocated the modernization of Soo Mook paintings. Additionally, abstract sculptures in metal engraving were the new trends in the Korean Art Exhibition. In the 1970s, the economic development and establishment of a dictatorial government made the society stiffen. Abstract expression died out and monochrome painting was the most influential in the 1970s. After the exhibition of Five Korean Artists, Five White Colors in the Tokyo Central Art Museum in 1976, monochrome paintings were formally discussed in Korea. ‘Flatness’ ‘physicality of material’ ‘action’ ‘post-image’ ‘post-subjectivity’ and ‘oriental spirituality’ were the critical terms in mentioning the monochrome paintings of the 1970s. ‘Korean beauty’ was discussed, focusing on the beauty of white which was addressed by not only Yanagi Muneyoshi but also the policy of national rehabilitation under the Yoo Shin government. At this time, the monochrome paintings of the 1970s in Korea, addressing art for art’s sake, cutting of communication with the masses, and elitism, came to be authorized.
한국미술이론학회는 미술이론의 고유한 역할과 방향을 모색하고자 창립되었다. 미술창작과 해석에 필요한 제반이론을 생산하고 다양한 미술현장의 활동을 검증하고 비판하며 연구하는 학회로서 미술의 이론과 실제사이의 분리현상을 극복하는데 기여하고자 한다. 현재 미술관련 학회들의 성격이 대부분 이론영역에 치중해있고, 학과나 전공에 특화되어 있는데 반하여, 본 학회는 미술의 현장과 창작과정을 적극 반영하고 미학, 미술사 등 기존의 미술이론 영역 뿐 아니라 실기와 미술교육, 경영, 행정, 전시 등 다양한 분야를 총괄하는 학제 간 연구를 활성화시키고자 한다. 앞으로 다양한 미술이론 영역에 대한 심도 있는 연구는 물론 한국미술계의 발전과 변화에 조력할 수 있는 실천적이고 생산적인 미술이론의 형성에 본 학회는 최선을 다할 것이다.