[Joanna Bourque]

Crystal sent another zoom link.

https://usc.zoom.us/j/96643665807?pwd=dTBpYWdFM2NGWTJsKzIzZU5YVnZMUT09

[Joanna Bourque]

I was really looking forward to this.

[Joanna Bourque]

I was initially able to join the Zoom, but I was kicked off. Now, when I try to join, it says that the host has another meeting in progress. 🙁

[Joanna Bourque]

Greetings!

I am Joanna Bourque. I teach art K-5 in central VA, though I am originally from NH. I have a background in Asian Studies, mainly Chinese art and language. I have participated in a number of workshops and seminars on East Asia in the past, but I was so excited to hear about this workshop. Understanding Japan through visual representations in art aligns perfectly with my professional growth plan for this school year, which is to deepen my knowledge and understanding of Japan and Korea in order to teach their arts in proper cultural and historical context. I am looking forward to our discussions.

[Joanna Bourque]

I was reading the review of Yokohama: Prints from Nineteenth-Century Japan by Ann Yonemura and I had read the entire first page before realizing it had nothing to do with woodblock prints. The first page of the reading referred to the nanshoku (male love) literary genre and speaks of its disappearance around the start of the Meiji period, most likely due to prevalent homophobia. This may be an aside from our topic; however, I am fascinated by the more recent phenomenon of yaoi in Japan, which has now spread globally. Yaoi, also known as "boy love" features homo-erotic relationships between male characters. The genre originated in Japan in the 1970s and is now extremely popular. Numerous high quality TV adaptations of yaoi  web novels and web comics have been produced in Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, and Korea. Even China has produced quality adaptations of yaoi web novels, of course, after eliminiating the homo-erotic aspects and creating "bromance" relationships.

Yaoi is mainly written by women, for women, and is not marketed to gay men; although, there are also male fans of yaoi. In Japan, female fans are called fujoshi, while male fans are called fudanshi. While I was studying Japan in college, I was assigned a book to read (I cannot remember the name now, sorry) and my professor kept alluding to the term "fetish" during our discussions. I am curious as to whether the popularity of this genre would align with this. I am also curious as to whether the decline of nanshoku during the Meiji period had something to do with Western influence.

[Joanna Bourque]

Wow. As I went through the essays and prints of Yokohama and those by Kiyochika, I was fascinated by the difference in perspective concerning the rapid changes occuring in Japan, by the artists and also by the art critics. On one hand, the Yokohama prints portrayed a colorful, fantastical version of what was imagined or expected of foreigners by the general Japanese population, which, in a way, reminds me of the fervor for travel scenes during the ukiyo-e period. The Yokohama prints were made by artists who never actually visited that location, much like how travel prints were in vogue, yet, most were wholly imagined landscapes; the artists actually never traveled to Yokohama nor had ever seen foreigners. On the other hand, critical viewers of Kiyochika’s work claim that his prints at the time represent a more realistic dreary, dark, and lonely reality of loss occurring throughout Japan. 

While seeing the Western conventions in Japanese prints throughout the essays and galleries, I was reminded of a term I had heard when I was studying Japanese art in college. Japonisme: the fascination, obsession, and commercialization of all things Japanese in the West during its initial "opening," and subsequently, it resurfaced in the U.S. after the end of our own Civil War. I was inspired to actually crack open a book I had bought over a decade ago, but had not yet read, Japonisme Comes to America: The Japanese Impact on the Graphic Arts 1876-1925 by Julia Meech and Gabriel P. Weisberg. While the West was fascinated by the arts of the East, Japanese artists were also picking up Western conventions in art. Kiyochika, for example, experimented with and began producing woodblock prints that were initially mistaken as oil paintings, while eliminating perfectly registered contour lines. He also became fascinated with portraying light, much like the Impressionists. Many of his prints depict night scenes, with multiple gradations of gray to black, in order to emphasize the bright light emanating from the newly installed gas lit lanterns and to play with the new found concept of chiaroscuro. 

My AHA moment was when I was viewing Kiyochika’s prints for the first time, and I was reminded of the first time that I saw a Caravaggio. While the Yokohama prints stuck with conventional Japanese aesthetics, Kiyochika integrated Eastern and Western modes of representation and technique with a truly innovative spirit and unique perspective of the time.

[Joanna Bourque]

I cannot access the top three required readings. I receive a message that "the requested page could not be found." 

[Joanna Bourque]

DISCLAIMER: I am ARMY. I have an ARMY bomb. I also have a ring that is an ARMY bomb. I have seen BTS 5 times in concert, once in Seoul. JHope (one of the rappers) is my bias.

Clay suggested that I post the song that I mentioned to the forum, so I thought I would post a few more for those who are interested in knowing more about BTS' message and success. BTS stands for Bangtan Seoyandan, translated as bulletproof boy scouts, which signifies the group's desire "to block out stereotypes, criticisms, and expectations that aim on adolescents like bullets." There is also a very intricate and complex progressing storyline running through BTS’’ songs, albums, and videos starting from their debut.

You should always put on the closed captions for the lyrics in English.

That BTS song criticising the educational system is N.O. (2013). This is way back when they were too hip-hop for their own good 😉 Unfortunately, there are no subtitles, but you can find English lyrics here.

The epic ballad Spring Day (2017), which, I believe, illustrates the Korean concept of han, is considered by many critics to be a turning point for the band showing a newfound maturity. If I'm not mistaken, the video was partly inspired by Snowpiercer.

Idol (2018) is about idol culture and loving yourself, and is one of their biggest hits. This live performance intro to Idol is a fascinating integration of contemporary music and technology with traditional Korean music, dance, theater, dress, and folklore.

Fake Love (2018) is about losing yourself and loving yourself, and is one of their biggest hits.

We Are Bulletproof: the Eternal (2020) is a song for ARMY for BTS' seven year anniversary and chronicles their seven years of struggles and success; seven being significant because there are seven members.

Interlude: Shadow (2020) is from their Map of the Soul: 7 album, which is the culmination of years of reflection and introspection that draws heavily from Jung's concept of The Self and includes songs such as Persona and Ego.

Rap line highlight: DDaeng (2018). Vocal line highlight: The Truth Untold (2018). Dance practice highlight: Mic Drop- MAMA Ver. (2018). Dance line highlight: 3Js Butter-Special Performance (2021). 

Agust D's (Suga's) solo production Daechwita (2020) highlights his rapping style and has a lot of traditional Korean cultural references. 

RM's solo production Seoul-prod. Honne (2018) highlights his personal style with a chill vibe.

JHope's recent Arson (2022) is markedly darker than what he has produced with BTS as he explores his own creative interests and aesthetic. I would lovingly call it ‘hip hop apocalypse.’ He speaks on his past success and struggles with fame and ambition while with BTS, as well as his fears for the future as a solo artist. At the same time, I would say that he somehow captures contemporary AND old school hip hop in this one song.

Bad Desicions (2022) is a brand new collaboration with Benny Blanco, BTS’ vocal line, and Snoop Dogg. Benny is a BTS fan and the video hilariously illustrates what it is like to be ARMY.

I have way too much to impart on the topic of BTS and I know I have already gone overboard, so I will stop here. 🙂

[Joanna Bourque]

All I can say is that BTS never needed to do a song in English to become popular, so I don’t buy it. They also don’t have a label in The States. They are part of Big Hit, a Korean company, now Hybe. Pre- Dynamite era, they grew their global fandom grassroots style for years through YouTube, Vlive, and their own variety show Run BTS because they got no air play in the US or elsewhere because they sing in Korean. Yet, amazingly, they have been performing to sold-out stadiums in the US, Europe, Asia, and South America since 2018 with Korean-only songs, with fans singing along in Korean. How crazy is that!? A group singing in Korean sells out every stadium seating 60k+ people without ever being played on the radio!? Singing in English has nothing to do with BTS’ success. I have posted a few other discussion topics related to BTS and this topic below, if you are interested. This is a quality fan made introduction to the seven members of BTS, which shows their backgrounds, skill sets, talent, perseverance, and goofy quirkiness (which is unusual to see from idol groups) —everything that made ARMY fall for them.

[Joanna Bourque]

Thank you for sharing! I feel like I have heard this song before. Do you know if it has been in a drama? It seems pretty chill and for everyday listening. For contrast, here is an example of a totally over the top k-pop song/video by a pretty popular group Big Bang: Bang Bang Bang. https://youtu.be/2ips2mM7Zqw

Daniel mentioned G-Dragon in our k-pop discussion, who is a member of Big Bang. This ties in perfectly, because he was actually trying to become a rapper since childhood. He joined his company expecting to become a solo artist, but his company put him in the four member group Big Bang. It wasn’t until after he completed his military service that he was allowed to produce music as a solo artist. There was also an huge sex scandal involving a member, Seungri, in 2019, which usually spells the end of an idol’s career; yet, Big Bang just recently came out with a new song. 

[Joanna Bourque]

I wanted to speak a bit about some of the topics brought up during our discussion related to idols' creative agency, their over-scheduled lives, their meticulously manicured appearances, and their carefully cultivated personas. Clay mentioned at one point that, in the past, you could watch a band play live on stage and know who each one of them was and what their unique role was in the band, yet, he sees a breakdown in that with k-pop where they don't play instruments and they are all singing. I am not informed well on past idol groups like Super Junior and Girls' Generation with a cadre of similar looking and similarly styled members; however, many idol groups consist of members with different looks, voices, and personalities (think Black Pink and Big Bang with each having four members with different roles and skills and unique styles of look and dress).

Companies may also assign members a persona that they adopt for their fans (e.g., the cute one, the funny one, the smart one, the rebel) and, in that way, each group has a member that can appeal to anyone and everyone. BTS, of course, is again a great example. The members come from different backgrounds and disciplines with different skillsets. There are seven members and each has a specific role within the vocal line, rap line, dance line, etc. At first listen, one might not be able to distinguish between each of the members, but after a closer listen, the four vocalists have very unique voices, tones, and skills and the three rappers have very unique voices, styles, and flows. There are four members of the dance line with JHope (a former street dancer) and Jimin (a contemporary dancer) as leads. Each member also sings a solo song suited to their skill and style on each of their albums. A BTS fan knows each member's name, has a specific bias, and can identify who is singing or rapping. BTS has always had an online presence, as well, and regularly engages with their fans through thier own variety show Run BTS, and v-logs on Vlive, allowing fans a glimpse into their personal lives, their personalities, and their relationships with eachother. Of course, this is all mediated through their company and much of it is contrived; however, it does allow fans to feel more connected to the group.

Lack of creative agency is a concerning aspect of idol culture. Idols and trainees all have different aspirations in becoming stars: to become a singer, or rapper, or dancer, or songwriter, or producer, or even just to become a famous celebrity. Suga, for example, was an underground rapper and went to Seoul to become a songwriter/producer and JK (Jeon Jung-kook) wanted to be a dancer before he was cast as the main vocalist in BTS. Depending on the company, there are idols who have been able to carve their own way in the industry through their own agency. Again, BTS is a great example, as they achieved some autonomy after their massive success. JHope (Jung Ho-seok) released a solo album in July after BTS went on hiatus. He performed songs from this album and from his 2018 mixtape at Lollapalooza two weekends ago. I was fortunate enough to be there. Not only JHope, but RM (Kim Nam-joon) and Suga/Agust D (Min Yoon-gi) are also songwriters and they self-produce solo work, which allows them actionable credibility that they otherwise lack by being in an idol group. Suga has recently produced songs for others like Suran's Wine, Halsey's Suga's Interlude, and Psy's recent hit That That. It is unfortunate that trainees are cast into roles that they do not aspire to; however, I believe that at this point, it is a well-known expectation in the industry. With the current scrutiny on the music industry in Korea, I am curious to see if there will be a shift in the idol culture and in the situation of trainees.

[Joanna Bourque]

I was thinking about this same discussion topic for a few days. I see how transnationalism and glocalization can play parts in shaping the music industry. My concern, however, is how far does one take this? To make a statement such as that because a group sings in English they are, in essence, erasing their cultural identity in order to appeal to a global audience doesn't seem appropriate. BTS, for example, only has three songs fully in English (their most recent), yet, they have been selling out stadiums around the world since 2018 while singing fully in Korean, and their fans sing right along with them in Korean. While it is quite common for Korean music artists to sing a verse or two in English, which is also common in everyday conversation in Korea, I believe that constitutes the fusion Kara mentioned. K-pop groups, in general, tend to blend multiple music genres into each song inspired by all types of styles. In the past, the English language and Western culture has been the dominant import and the cultural exchanges shared between Korea and the West were quite unequal, so, it is only natural that Korean music would take on Western influences. That said, using BTS as the example, although they have three English songs, they are very much still a Korean group steeped in Korean culture, which is evident in the vast majority of their song lyrics and performances.

[Joanna Bourque]

I am going all the way back to the first discussion week to comment, because I recently visited the Robie House in Chicago and was I struck by how evident the influence of Japanese architecture was on Wright's design for this and other structures. Prior to entering, you are met by a tiered structure with multiple eaves reminiscent of a pagoda, which is built utilizing both traditional and modern building materials: wood, brick, concrete, and steel. Once inside, the impressive use of wood throughout the home unifies the space. Wright incorporates wooden lattice elements, similar to those of Japanese window and door screens, in his light coverings and wall openings, and even extends this design to his iconic art-glass window designs. Wright also includes fixtures that are specific to the design, which progress harmoniously throughout the home.

On the second floor of the home, the simple and open floor plan and the indoor-outdoor concept characteristic of traditional Japanese architecture is found in the two rooms separated by only the central fireplace. The rooms are adjoined on each side of the fireplace and the area above the fireplace is open allowing views extending to the opposite end of the home. Each wall is a window to the surrounding landscape with art-glass windows and doors that can be fully opened inviting the outdoors indoors. 

Wright also incorporates concepts of geomancy in his design which is significant in Asian architecture and urban planning in order to maintain harmony between the human and heavenly realms. Spaces can be defined as sacred based on careful site selection, planning based on cardinal directions, and the axis mundi. The Robie House is in fact situated purposefully, unusual for the time in American architecture, so that two of its opposite walls face to the east and to west, with clear views of the sunrise in the morning and the sunset at night. Wright also makes use of the axis mundi and symbolism of the center of the property in the house design. Before entering the living spaces within the house, you must take steps to the next floor. The light fixture above the first step of the staircase is aligned with the center of the property, which you must cross in order to enter and progress through the rest of the house. 

I am so glad that I took this course to better understand East Asian design and architecture. Much of what I have learned has intersected with other experiences I have had. I recently was part of a book club reading Ai Weiwei's memoir, in which he discussed his initial part in helping to design the Beijing Olympic Stadium. I recently took a course on Korea, which delved a lot more into the exact nature of the cultural exchanges throughout the region and their influences on Korean cultural identity. And, finally, I was able to visit Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House and see first hand the result of the confluence of different styles and traditions in architecture coming together so harmoniously. 

[Joanna Bourque]

When thinking about the indoor-oudoor concept of traditional Japanese architecture, I was reminded of the 'self-taught' architect (I am not quite sure what that entails) Takashi Kobayashi who designs and builds tree houses. Some are sleek and modern, while some look like fairytale cottages, and they are all directly situated on the trunk and biggest branches of carefully selected trees in order to seamlessly blend with nature. He says his tree houses are a way, "To break down the feeling of separation that exists between humans and nature." When I first encountered him, I was looking for a fun lesson on architecture to do with my students, but I became fascinated by the organic designs and his use of natural materials and elements. His tree houses, made from wood and situated above the ground, make use of the traditional principles of the indoor-outdoor concept of building design and use the surrounding landscape as a backdrop like in zen garden design. While I find his structures to be ineteresting, I am concerned about their purposes and functionality. Is this a whimsical attention-getting concept, or do his structures have true long-term functionality?

 

[Joanna Bourque]

My introduction to Korean cinema was in early 2018 with the movie A Taxi Driver, which is centered around the Gwanju uprising and the democracy movement of the 1980s. I was never averse to subtitles as I had been watching japanime for decades, but I had mainly put it on just to have something playing while I was sewing. Within 10 minutes, I had entirely forgotten about sewing and ended up sitting on the floor motionless staring at the TV for the next 2 hours. That, of course, led to a search for more Korean content. I found the website Viki, which provides only Asian TV and movies; Strong Woman Do Bong Soon was my first drama and I have been hooked every since. I was fascinated by the quality of the production, the cinematography, the genre-bending, the hilarity (and often absurdity) of Korean humor, and the overall talent of the cast and crew.

I recently saw Train to Busan and, even in a zombie movie, the chasm between the self-important person weilding tremendous power and the orinary Korean citizen was quite evident, which, as was discussed in the lecture and readings, is a recurring theme in Korean cinema and TV. I have noticed that the majority of Korean movies and TV shows that I have seen (whether rom-com, mystery, thriller, fantasy, or historical) to some degree always manage to shed light on social issues and the struggles of ordinary people. I have also often heard the term Hell Joseon used to criticize the current economic and social inequalities in Korea. As an art teacher, I am always trying to impart to my students the importance of examining and analyzing the arts of other cultures as a medium for understanding. Immersing myself in the study of Korean culture, I am now understanding how accurately Korean cinema and TV reflects the ideas, beliefs, and values of modern Korean society. 

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