Traditional Korean aesthetic characteristics are rooted in the country's rich history and culture. These aesthetic characteristics can be broadly "categorized into four areas: pure formality, naturalistic simplicity, symbolic decoration, and playful spontaneity.*" The blending of these characteristics is a hallmark of Korean art and design, from pottery and ceramics to fashion and architecture.

The series "A Korean Vase" seeks to capture these traditional Korean aesthetic characteristics through the lens of a contemporary interpretation. The enemy's enemy, the artist behind the series, set out to explore the cultural development of South Korea and its influence on aesthetics and art. In this series, Goryeo celadon-style Korean ceramics are captured alongside other pieces like glass, flora, and other objects.

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The use of contemporary props such as a gold pen, gold chocolates, and clear glass vessels is employed to help frame the compositions through a more modern gaze. These objects, manufactured in recent times, offer a stark contrast to the dated stylistic elements of the Korean vases, yet they aesthetically complement each other, highlighting the theme of "tradition meeting non-traditional" to create a unique Korean fusion.

The tension created by these contrasting styles tells a story of a rapidly growing country rooted in tradition yet also looking to accept "the new and non-traditional." This concept of embracing change while holding onto tradition has been at the core of South Korea's history and culture for centuries.

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For example, in the Joseon era, Daoist values were introduced from China and Japan, presenting the idea of "acceptance and calm." In Korea, this was translated into an attitude of "intentional disinterest" or "lightheartedness." This new frame of mind helped Korean people embrace the inevitability of change in the ever-shifting cosmic universe. The idea that "one must accept the natural forces of the universe" connected the ordinary and mundane with the fantastical, the bizarre, and the extraordinary. The idea that anything could happen meant that the mundane was equal to the extraordinary; hence, nothing was "more special than the other."

This idea was shown through paintings and other aesthetic pieces in historical Korean art. Since "the extraordinary" equated to "the mundane," some drawings from the Joseon era went as far as showcasing no extravagant focal point in the composition or purposefully distracting the viewer from the piece's primary focus. In the painting "Dream Journey to the Peach Blossom Land" by famed artist An Gyeon, the composition shows a horizontal scroll of mountains, streams, and peach trees with no focal point. This encourages viewers to understand that the peach blossom flowers are no more important than the streams or land, despite the title's clear indication of the flower's importance.

In the series "A Korean Vase," the compositions mimic this sentiment of disinterest by using the main vases as backdrops for other props. In some of the photographs, a model's hand is seen reaching for a gold pen while the main focal point, the Korean ceramic pieces, sits quietly in the background.

Overall, "A Korean Vase" offers a contemporary interpretation of traditional Korean aesthetic characteristics. By blending the old and the new, the series highlights the ongoing conversation between tradition and modernity that has shaped Korean art and culture for centuries.

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Art direction and photography by the enemy's enemy.

^CITATION

^{1. Yoo Jin Kwon & Yhe-Young Lee (2015) Traditional Aesthetic Characteristics Traced in South Korean Contemporary Fashion Practice, Fashion Practice, 7:2, 153-174, DOI: 10.1080/17569370.2015.1045348}

^{2. 윤천근. (2016). 장자철학에서 "무심함" 또는 "지극한 즐거움"의 미학. 동서철학연구, 79(0), 5-41.Chun Guen Youn. (2016). The Aesthetics as "Detachment" or "Profound Pleasure" in the System of CHANG-TZU's Philosophy. Studies in Philosophy East-West, 79(0), 5-41.}