Research Essay
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ARH2000
Fall 2017
Harn Diversity Project
The Harn Museum of Art at the University of Florida displays an expansive collection of
Asian art from various countries throughout the region. The online exhibit Korean Art:
Collecting Treasures showcases pieces that span a multitude of media and that can trace their
origins to Korea. Many of the pieces were donated to the museum by General James Van Fleet in
1988. Fleet served in the U.S. Army as an officer during the Korean War and influenced the
founding of the Korea Society in New York in 1957. The Korea Society worked to promote
positive relations between American and Korean communities by encouraging a “mutual
understanding” between the two cultures (“Korean Art: Collecting Treasures”). The effect of
Korean Art: Collecting Treasures is very similar; it creates a window into the world that is
Korean culture thus sparking conversation and recognizing and validating the strong Korean
community in Gainesville.
Gainesville, as a whole, is a widely diverse community which is largely due to the
influence of the University of Florida. Educational and research opportunities draw people from
across the globe to this central Floridian town. The Institute of International Education Open
Doors Report of 2016 states that there is a total of 7,107 international students enrolled here at
UF with 267 of these students being from South Korea. The total of South Korean international
students is the third largest group behind only China and India. In addition to international
students, there are, also, eighty-one exchange students from South Korea. The Korean
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Undergraduate Student Association (KUSA) provides a way for this community of Korean
students, international, exchange, and American, to engage with each other and find support.
KUSA enhances the social lives of its members by establishing “big” and “little” families,
hosting a spring formal dance, and organizing an annual trip to Atlanta (“KUSA at UF”). Beyond
the social aspects of the club, the Korean Undergraduate Student Association states that their
goal is to “unite” the Korean and Korean-American communities and to “promote the visibility”
of these communities “on campus as well as in the greater society” (KUSA-GatorConnect). This
stated purpose is extremely similar to the purpose of the aforementioned Korea Society and
mirrors the effect Korean Art: Collecting Treasures has on viewers, particularly the aspect of
“visibility.” The Korean Undergraduate Student Association with this Korean art exhibit,
together prevent Korean culture from being ignored or neglected on campus by giving it a place
to come together and shine brightly to the public.
Korean Art: Collecting Treasures features pieces whose themes, styles, and media are
iconic to Korean artwork as a whole. Ceramic works are particularly characteristic of Asia
(Frank, 318). Almost all of the ceramic
pottery seen in the Harn museum’s Asian
wing are blue porcelain with intricate
designs. The striking and recognizable blue
color was chosen by artists because it was
the only color that could handle the high
temperature at which the porcelain is fired
(Frank, 318). An example of this ceramic
tradition is the “Small Blue-Glazed Molded Fish-Form Water Dropper” produced during the
“Small Blue-‐Glazed Molded Fish-‐Form Water Dropper,” Joseon Dynasty, 19th Century, Artist unknown
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nineteenth century Joseon Dynasty. According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, water
droppers were originally made for use in the process of diluting ink. Water would be dripped
from this vessel onto an inkstone where an ink stick would be grinded. Water droppers were
often formed into “whimsical” shapes like the fish shown here, and they were very fashionable
during the nineteenth century (The Met).
Another type of artwork that is very characteristic of the Korean genre is ink on paper
paintings. Traditional paintings typically feature landscape scenes and calligraphy (Frank, 315).
The addition of calligraphy to the paintings displays the artists’
efforts to bring painting to the already highly respected level of
calligraphy and poetry (Frank, 315). By including the revered
artforms of calligraphy and poetry, artists made their paintings
more valuable. Both landscape and calligraphy are seen in
“Mountain Landscape” from the nineteenth century. It features a
mountain scene from a bird’s eye view that appears to fade away
into a faint mist which is characteristic of later styles of ink on
paper paintings (Frank, 316). Despite this, it maintains many
elements and appearances of similar paintings produced hundreds
of years prior. This “copying” of old styles is reflective of the
importance of Confucianism’s ideology on respecting the past, as
Confucianism was impactful in Korean culture’s development
(Frank, 317). The artist of this work and other similar pieces are mimicking much older paintings
in an effort to honor them.
“Mountain Landscape,” 19th Century, Artist unknown
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Another example of ink on paper is “Seok Mo Ro-In, Tiger” which was produced in the
late nineteenth century. According to Hae Yeun Kim’s article “East Asian Cultural Exchange in
Tiger and Dragon Paintings,” tigers have symbolic meanings in Korean culture. In East Asian
art, images of tigers are often paired with those of dragons (Kim).
They can be linked to Daoism with the tiger representing “yin”
and the dragon representing “yang” (Kim). Tigers can be
connected to Buddhism through the Jataka tales (Kim). The tiger
and the dragon are part of the Four Divine Animals with the tiger
representing the west and the dragon representing the east (Kim).
Tigers and dragons together can be considered a well-balanced
pair because they are opposites. This quality of balance is a
fundamental ideal in Korean culture as Koreans believe in striving
for harmony and balance in all things (PBS, “Hidden Korea”).
While tiger imagery also appears in Chinese and Japanese art, the
style of this piece gives away its Korean origins. Korean tiger
paintings feature very little background making the tiger itself the
main focus of the piece. If Korean tigers are placed in a landscape,
it is typically mountainous or rocky (Kim). Both of these backdrop
characteristics are seen in this painting. The tigers in Korean depictions are often more two-
dimensional than those produced by other cultures as flatness is a popular style of Korean art
(Kim). Korean painters were often less detailed when painting tigers, particularly the stripes
which are shown as simple, solid lines (Kim). Tigers were well-respected animals in Korean
culture, and the danger of one and its power was well understood (Kim). This is reflected in the
“Seok Mo Ro-‐In, Tiger,” Late 19th Century, Artist unknown
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facial expression and posture of the tiger shown here. This tiger is shown as fierce and cunning.
The highly symbolic status of the tiger makes it an important and popular subject of Korean art.
Upon its arrival to Korea, Confucianism played a large role in shaping Korean culture
and government practices (New World Encyclopedia, “Korean Confucianism”). While often
thought of as a religion, Confucianism is actually better
defined as an ideology about political and social structure
that places heavy importance on subordination, customs and
rituals, and high standards of proper decorum (PBS, “Hidden
Korea”). Confucianism, along with Buddhism, was brought
to Korea from China. It was studied and developed by
scholars during the Koryô dynasty, and immediately after,
Neo-Confucianism came to full fruition during the Yi
dynasty (New World Encyclopedia, “Korean
Confucianism”). Confucianism became the official state cult
during the Chosun dynasty of the fourteenth century (PBS,
“Hidden Korea”). After suffering from lower class poverty,
the corruption among Buddhist monks, and Chinese
invasions, Neo-Confucianism’s ideas about reform and
ethics were welcomed by the Korean people (New World
Encyclopedia, “Korean Confucianism”). Family structure and values are integral to Confucian
teachings making it logical for a family to possess a Confucian altar that was kept in the home –
the center of family life. The altar is elegant and proud but not extravagant or loud in its
decoration which reflects the Confucian ideas about decorum and correct behavior. The piece
“Carved Lacquered Wood 'Pavilion'-‐Form Confucian Altar,” Joseon Dynasty, 19th
Century, Artist unknown
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conveys the Korean ideal of balance through its symmetry and elongated rectangular shape. By
placing this altar in the family home, it likely provided a daily reminder of the Confucian ideals
that were integral to Korean life during the time of the altar’s creation.
In addition to Confucianism, Buddhism and its teachings were extremely influential in
the development of Korean culture. Buddhism originated in India and spread across Southeast
Asia to China and Korea (Encyclopaedia Britannica,
“Buddhism”). Buddhism focuses on the personal lives of
those who practice it with its ideology about achieving
enlightenment by letting go of worldly attachments
(Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Buddhism”). While Buddhism
is an extremely widespread religion, Buddhist art is
different for every culture that produces it (Frank, 304). In
fact, it differs over time, as well. One characteristic of early
Buddhist art is that it is non-figural or nonrepresentational
(Frank, 304). An example of this non-figural Buddhist art,
is the stupa. Buddhist stupas evolved from earlier Indian
burial mounds, and Indian stupas reflect this by containing
a dome-like shape (Frank, 304). However, the shape seen
here in this Korean stupa from the Joseon dynasty more closely resembles that of a Chinese
Buddhist pagoda. Pagodas developed from the merging of the Indian stupa and the traditional
Chinese watchtower which resulted in a stepped tower structure (Frank, 305). Again, balance is
shown in the symmetry of each step and in the symmetrically sloping sides of the tower.
“Stupa,” Joseon Dynasty (1392-‐1910), Artist unknown
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Upon viewing the online exhibit, it becomes apparent that religious traditions are integral
to Korean culture. The Gainesville community and the UF community, especially, offer many
opportunities for engagement in the Korean religious community. For example, on campus
students have the opportunity to become involved in the World Peace Buddhist-Soka Gakkai
International-USA club. This club states their purpose as “propagating the teachings of Nichiren
Buddhism” which they achieve “through daily Buddhist practice of spreading peace, exchanging
culture and sharing closely knit bonds with people around us by undergoing a self-transformation
within ourselves.” Outside of the UF campus, the Gainesville Buddhist community features Tu
Viện A Nan which is a Buddhist temple where people from different backgrounds can come
together. In addition, there is a Buddhist statue park on-site containing large stone
representations of important Buddhist figures. These statues are closely tied to the pieces found
in the Harn museum in their shared purpose. Together, they introduce Buddhism to the wider
Gainesville community by educating viewers and giving them a concrete rather than abstract
definition of Buddhism. Apart from the Buddhist community, Gainesville offers a niche for
Christian Koreans, too. Located on the southwest side of town, the Korean Baptist Church of
Gainesville serves the community by offering worship services, bible studies, prayer meetings,
and fellowship opportunities for those seeking to become involved. The variety of opportunities
for Buddhist and Christian Koreans reflects the diversity within the Korean community and of
the Gainesville community as a whole.
At a surface level, it is difficult to relate my personal experience to the experiences of
UF’s Korean community. I am not of Korean descent and neither are my close friends. My
insight into their struggles and overall experience is admittedly limited. However, we are
inherently tied by our shared status as a student of the University of Florida. We drive the same
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roads and walk the same sidewalks. We take classes together and struggle through them together.
We are more united than we seem. This collection of Korean art at the Harn has opened my eyes
to the diversity and expanse of the Korean community here in Gainesville, and through my
research on the various art pieces, I have learned a vast amount about Korean culture.
This online exhibit, Korean Art: Collecting Treasures, and the far broader collection of
Asian art featured at the Harn Museum of Art provides an educational experience, similar to my
own, for all viewers and visitors. Education is the first step in the journey towards understanding
and compassion between differing groups. Understanding between peoples reflects the goals of
the Korea Society thus leading to the conclusion that this understanding was, also, the motivation
in General James Van Fleet’s, decision to donate many of the pieces shown in this exhibit. The
exhibit gets people talking about Korean culture in a positive, intelligent, and informed way. It
takes people who otherwise would have very little interaction with the Korean community and
exposes them to traditional Korean culture and customs. This exhibit is likely a source of pride
for the Korean community as it puts beautiful and valuable artifacts of their culture in the
spotlight. By doing so, it validates the influence of Korean culture in American society and
recognizes the presence of the Korean community in America. The ceramic water dropper, the
ink on paper paintings, the Confucian altar, and the Buddhist stupa, together, exemplify aspects
of Korean heritage and the origins of Korean culture. Korean Art: Collecting Treasures reflects
the Korean community of Gainesville and influences the Gainesville community through
education about the diversity that can be found within the Gainesville community itself.
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Works Cited
Frank, Patrick. Prebles’ Artforms: An Introduction to the Visual Arts.11th ed., Pearson, 2014.
Pages 304-305, 315-318.
“Hidden Korea- Religion.” PBS. http://www.pbs.org/hiddenkorea/religion.htm. Accessed 3
December 2017.
Kim, Hae Yeun. “East Asian Cultural Exchange in Tiger and Dragon Paintings.” Heilbrunn
Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, October 2016.
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/tidra/hd_tidra.htm. Accessed 3 December 2017.
Kitagawa, Joseph M.; Lopez, Donald S.; Nakamura, Hajime; Reynolds, Frank E.; Snellgrove,
David Llewelyn; Tucci, Guiseppe. “Buddhism.” Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., 18 July
2017, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Buddhism. Accessed 3 Decmeber 2017.
“Korean Art: Collecting Treasures.” Exhibits. University of Florida George A Smathers
Libraries, http://exhibits.uflib.ufl.edu/harnkoreanart/. Accessed 3 December 2017.
Korean Baptist Church of Gainesville.2017. http://www.kbcg.org/newhome/. Accessed 3
December 2017.
“Korean Confucianism.” New World Encyclopedia, 29 July 2014,
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Korean_Confucianism. Accessed 3
December 2017.
“Korean Undergraduate Student Association.” GatorConnect. University of Florida Student
Activities and Involvement. 2017.
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https://orgs.studentinvolvement.ufl.edu/Organization/Korean-Undergraduate-Student-
Association. Accessed 3 December 2017.
“KUSA At UF.” Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/uf.kusa/. Accessed 3 December 2017.
“Open Doors Reports - International Students, Exchange Visitors.” University of Florida
International Center. https://www.ufic.ufl.edu/OpenDoorsReports.html. Accessed 3
December 2017.
“Ring-shaped water dropper.” The Met.
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/72620. Accessed 3 December 2017.
“Tu Viện A Nan.” Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/chua.a.nan/. Accessed 3 December
2017.
“World Peace Buddhist-Soka Gakkai International-USA.” GatorConnect. University of Florida
Student Activities and Involvement. 2017.
https://orgs.studentinvolvement.ufl.edu/Organization/World-Peace-Buddhist-Soka-
Gakkai-International-USA. Accessed 3 December 2017.