The subject of my study is focused on imagery of labor on the streets of Gijang County in Busan, South Korea. Two observations for the study are Gijang fishermen and local grandmothers working in street vendors. I rendered the imagery I pictured through fishermen who continue their labor on the narrow streets of Gijang, and grandmothers trying to keep their street stalls on the market and to maintain their place in society.
The natural scenery in Gijang, Busan is slowly fading away due to city planning. On the newly paved streets, the labor that has been continuing since the past has not lost its place. I discovered images of the city and nature having opposing elements, and images of fishermen occupying the road by continuing their way of living on the streets where it is a part of nature as well as a place of industry for them.
In general terms, grandmothers are considered to be on the bottom of the social ladder. Their declining workforce results in many cases for grandmothers to be secluded from the city's economical activity. I found rebellious characters within the industrial structure of grandmothers who are social minorities that pursue their way of living on the streets without legal permission. They are both producers and distributors of the goods they sell in their store stalls.
In my art works, these visions are arranged in atypical composition with streets that define urban and social status, with nature, and waves that represent Busan.
For the choice of medium, I used newsprint paper, water-based marker and tissue paper to show familiarity that constitute aspects of daily lives. The process of my coloring technique of fully covering the back of the newsprint paper with markers portrays my subjects' repetitive hard workings. Method of stitching on tissue paper, that is finished with gel medium to strength its durability, conforms to the contradicting image of grandmothers sustaining their reality. Therefore, the objective of my study to express these images with suitable materials and technique is achieved.
However, the intended images were defined in literal forms in my research process. Not being able to delve further into the formative characteristics of coloring and stitching techniques is left much to be desired. Also the coloring technique founded in this study brought up discoloration problems over time. By establishing detailed data on the differences of hues among various marker brands, and thickness and drying environment of gel medium throughout repetitive testing, I would be able to resolve these problems, and furthermore be able to reinforce my systematic coloring technique.
I have been taking the same bus route for the past 10 years. This daily routine allows me to make observations on the same scenery over a duration of time. Contemplations of the views of the street scene from my bus seat has been great sources of my art work. While progressing this research, the repeating daily life became something apart from being monotonous and rather a consecutive discovery. I hope to constantly unfold sensational discoveries on forward. I anticipate for this research opportunity to be an ignition point for my future works.