While planning artwork, it crossed my mind that it would be a very good idea to contact some artists that made the Gwangju Penguin Village. I immediately tried to think of some ways to contact them, and soon I thought that if these people are artists, they must have their SNS pages to post their artworks, just as we are doing. It did not take long to find three artists and their Instagram pages, and I DMed them if I could get some advice. I especially liked Mr Park Sungho’s junk art, as they seemed easy to make but very aesthetically pleasing at the same time. I believe that good design is not art that degenerates as time passes, but one that rather changes to possess a quaint quality. For instance, glass skyscrapers, when first built, are very clean, beautiful, and also trendy. But, most of them will require high-maintenance costs to keep the glass clean, and also look bland and cliché in a few decades, just as we consider the old modernist buildings of the 20th century banal and dull. On the other hand, the traditional buildings that one would find in Europe, East Asia, have a unique quality that does not worsen as time passes. Rather, they become more and more beautiful along with the progress of time, and become extolled for their picturesque nature.
Yes, I’ve digressed again. But what I want to emphasize was that his artwork felt like the type of art that progresses along with time. (I will also post more about my views on design in the “By design” section) I also emailed the Gwangju city centre if I could contact some of the artists who single-handedly made the Gwangju Penguin Village.
So what did I get? Although I couldn’t get a reply from the city centre, extremely useful advice of three experienced artists, and valuable connections. All of the artists gave me advice via phone call. These are the advice I gained:
1. Jeju Island is a very unique place. It would always be a good idea to use the distinctive culture of Jeju Island. For instance, making a huge collage of a dolharubang (a stone statue that is frequently found in Jeju. You could think it as the miniature and Korean version of a Moai statue) using aluminium cans.
2. Junk art requires dismantling, drilling into, or even destroying things. It could be really cliché but remember safety first.
3. Use acrylic paint, since they do not get off the artwork well. Finalize the artwork with finalizing spray to make it durable and waterproof.
4. Don’t stop midway or change plans too much, because junk art doesn’t require really sophisticated techniques that take years to master.
5. When working with wood, just strongly drill down, because it doesn’t break easily as people think it does.
One artist wanted to keep in touch, and told me to ask him whenever I needed help! 😍
Some screenshots of my DMs.
Translation (Far left): Hello, I am a high school student living in jeju, who has recently visited Penguin Village. I was amazed by the antique beauty of the village, and decided to get a team together to do something similar for my local community.
As it is our first time doing such a project, we have encountered some difficulties, such as low budget or a lack of art supplies and waste. Could you please give us some advice based on your experience of making the Gwangju penguin Village?
Translation (Far Right): Hello, I am a high school student living in jeju, who has recently visited Penguin Village. I was amazed by the antique beauty of the village, and decided to get a team together to do something similar for my local community.
We want to make artwork inspired by yours. Could you please tell us how you made your artworks, what wooden plates you used, how you drilled them, and what paint you used? If you could give us any other advice, we would also be very thankful.
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