Art produced by the Korean
people traditionally has shared aesthetic concepts, motifs,
techniques and forms with those of their neighboring
countries, China and Japan. Yet despite its many
similarities, the art of Korea has developed a distinctive
style of its own. Korean art has seldom displayed the
grandeur and aloofness of the Chinese nor the decorative
sophistication of the Japanese. In terms of technical
perfection and precision, Korean artists have generally been
considered inferior to their immediate neighbors. The
strength of Korean art rests in its simplicity and
spontaneity. The architecture of Korea provides an excellent
example of these traits. In addition to Buddhism, which was
the main inspiration for many of the nation's architectural
feats, the Chinese philosophies of um (yin in
Chinese) and yang, geomancy, Taoism and Confucianism
also influenced Korean architecture. Koreans easily
integrated the philosophical and religious principles of
these teachings into their own work and applied their own
interpretation of them into their own architectural plans
and lay-out.
Nature has always been
regarded as an element of utmost importance in Korean
architecture. Numerous Buddhist temples scattered across the
country attest to Korea's outstanding tradition of Buddhist
art. They were frequently located in only those mountains
famed for their scenic beauty. What is unusual about ancient
Korean architecture is that it never attempted to resist or
compete with the natural environment. It unanimously
attempted to harmonize its structures with the natural
surroundings. In the popular scheme for temple buildings in
ancient Korea, sanctuaries, chapels and lecture halls were
most often arranged in a compound at the foot of a mountain
or in a valley in such a way that they were practically
hidden by the trees and shrubs. Conspicuousness and
ostentatious display were traditionally avoided in Korean
architecture.
In selecting the site for
a building of any function, whether a private dwelling or a
public facility, such as a palace or a temple, Koreans
tended to attach special meaning to the natural
surroundings. They never considered a place good enough for
a building of any type unless it commanded an appropriate
view of "mountains and water." This pursuit of
constant contact with nature was not based only on
aesthetics. The principles of geomancy was based on the idea
that for humankind to achieve its proper unfolding, both
intellectually and emotionally, it needed the support of
nature. Geomantic principles were thus applied in selecting
dwelling sites for both the living and the dead. A structure
was invariably positioned to face a stream with a
mountainous area at its back side. Ideally, the mountain had
to have "wings" at both ends so that it could
embrace the structure which, in keeping with um-yang
considerations, had to have a stream flowing in front.
Efforts were made to avoid having man-made construction
disrupt this natural contour of the terrain.
Traditional Korean
architecture was seldom inclined toward ostentatiousness in
scale or ornamentation. Rooms were of relatively small in
size and simply decorated. The lack of inner space was made
up in the outer courts. The exterior spaces were regarded as
being more important than the interior. This is because
Korean buildings were usually composed of many smaller
integrated structures that were connected by courtyards and
gates. Korean architects also favored the natural patterns
of wood grains, just as potters were concerned with bringing
out the inherent or natural characteristics of the clay.
Typical of this long-cultivated preference for simplicity in
decoration was the sarangch'ae or
master's salon which was commonly found in the house of a
Confucian scholar-bureaucrat living during the Choson
Dynasty (1392-1910). Situated in the "outer"
quarter of the house, a cultured gentleman of respectable
demeanor was never supposed to be superfluous in decorating
this room. A few pieces of wooden furniture of simple design
would suffice as it was mainly used for reading and for
scholarly pursuits. His taste for simplicity would often be
emphasized by a small landscape painting rendered in ink and
some pieces of pottery.
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