AE Diez

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6 Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending.

Lazurus Long

You are holding in your hand issue number 10 of Art Elemento; the last issue. For the past 2 years we shared many stories, we gave inspiration to many and received a lot more than ever expected.

But as everything in life there is a cycle and we believe the cycle of AE has been completed and it’s time to move on to a different level. It is always important to know when something has reached its end. Closing circles, shutting doors, finishing chapters, it doesn’t matter what we call it; what matters is to leave in the past and move on.

Ends are not bad things, they just mean that something else is about to begin. And there are many things that don’t really end, they just begin again in a new way. Many ends aren’t really an ending; some things are never-ending.

Everyone who ever participated in this project will be forever recorded in the history of Gwangju and we are forever in gratitude.

Those who didn’t, - missed a great chance. Thank you to all for your contributions, they gave us the strength to persevere and stay afloat.

PRODUCED BY / Joe Wabe EDITORS/ Amy Badenhorst, Lorryn Smit, Frank McKinley ART DIRECTOR/ Joe Wabe CONTRIBUTING WRITERS/ Doug Stuber, Lisa Mac, Ken Lee, Amy Badenhorst, Lorryn Smit, Dirty1, Jordan VanHartinsveldt, Maria Lizak CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS/ Jordan VanHartinsveldt, Emily Newton, Ken Lee, Tessa Guze MEDIA & DISTRIBUTION/ , Lorryn Smit, Jane Moon ADVERTISING/ Joe Wabe PRINTING/ Jane Moon WEBSITE/ artelemento.com EMAIL/ email@artelemento.com SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL THE VENUES THAT HELP US DISTRIBUTE AE: USquare Holiday Inn First Alley German Bar Top Bookstore Speakeasy GIC Center First Nepal

It’s been an incredible ride. Mission accomplished. It’s better than we ever thought it would be. Be well, do good things, and enjoy our last issue: Diez.

I WOULD LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE WHO HAS FURNISHED INFORMATION AND MATERIALS FOR THIS ISSUE. UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ARTISTS FEATURE IN ART ELEMENTO RETAIN COPYRIGHT TO THEIR WORK. WE WILL BE PLEASED TO CORRECT ANY MISTAKES OR OMISSIONS IN OUR NEXT ISSUE. WE WELCOME EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS; HOWEVER, RETURN POSTAGE MUST ACCOMPANY ALL UNSOLICITED MANUSCRIPTS, ART, DRAWINGS AND PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIAL IF THEY ARE TO BE RETURNED. NO RESPONSIBLITY CAN BE ASSUMED FOR UNSOLICITED MATERIALS. ALL LETTERS WILL BE TREATED AS UNCONDITIONALLY ASSIGNED FOR PUBLICATION AND COPYRIGHT PURPOSES AND SUBJECTS TO ART ELEMENTO’S RIGHT TO EDIT AND COMMENT EDITORIALLY.

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Cover design by Tessa Guze

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Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Opinions expressed in articles are those of the author. All rights reserved on entire contents. Advertising inquiries should be directed to email@artelemento.com

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Jordan VanHartinsveldt I’ve been in Korea for roughly two years; an eternity compared to some and a mere pittance compared to others. But I have noticed one recurring factor among the people I’ve encountered: a love for adventure, a passion for travel.

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artelemento10 Some have backpacked Europe.

And when I ask the highlights of their experience, a cathedral of some fame always makes the list – Notre Dame, St. Vitus, Barcelona.

Some have yet to visit Europe.

When I ask their checklist, a cathedral of some fame always makes the list.

Coincidence? I think not.

Love it or hate it, religion has captivated the masses for thousands of years. Even if they don’t particularly agree with the politics, thousands flock to religious structures every year to admire the art of worship, if not the worship itself. Every culture, every civilization, has poured innumerable resources into places of worship – be it to Zeus, God, Allah, or Thor.

of the best architectural images are of cathedrals.

Korea isn’t exactly famous for architecture. Sure, you can find temples and fortresses in every major city – most towns too – but none have quite the global fame of the Notre Dame Cathedral. When I mentioned Bulguksa to my family back in Canada, they met my excitement with blank stares.

They’d never even heard of it.

Little known fact: there are cathedrals on this peninsula. Catholic cathedrals even. The first was founded in Myeongdong by the French priest Fr. Eugene Coste in 1892. Through contributions by the Joseon emperor Go-

jong, the cathedral was finished in six years. Others can be seen in Daegu, Suwon, and even Gwangju.

Over 200 years later, Catholicism has become one of the predominant religions in South Korea, accounting for 10.9% of the population. It follows Buddhism and Presbyterianism, the latter being a less liturgical Christian denomination boasting an 18.3% national following. And yet, people recognize the Catholic churches by their form before that of Presbyterian churches.

This poses a problem. How can someone identify a Presbyterian church without looking at the sign? It’s a

Of these, the cathedral is the most iconic religious architecture form in modern times, due in part that most have survived the ravages of time.

Sure, there are a few Greek and Roman temples, an Egyptian shrine here and there, but no religious façade is as numerous or well-preserved – or as varied – as the cathedral.

But why are so many travelers intrigued by these structures?

A few thoughts: (1) Cathedrals are mausoleums to more traditional times, like castles. Nearly everyone has a romantic notion of chivalric Europe, despite the abhorrent quality of life and horrendous feudal system. (2) They stand as monuments to human ingenuity. Flying buttresses, stained glass, and vaulted ceilings; need I say more? (3) They are memorials to remind us of the price of beauty. No one can deny cathedrals are gorgeous, but neither can they deny the terrible toll they took through taxation and human lives. (4) They are history, pure and simple, and make for some gorgeous photographs. I’d dare say some

Love it or hate it, religion has captivated the masses for thousands of years.

10 tough question to answer. Throw a word related to religious architecture out there, and chances are it will come back to a Catholic development. You can’t just say, “A Korean Presbyterian church is easily identified by its steeple” because that’s not how it works.

The aforementioned cathedrals have steeples, the non-denominational churches have steeples, nearly every church in Korea has a steeple of some kind. Steeples are definitely not a Presbyterian-specific form.

“look at me, look at me!” in Latin while everyone else is speaking Korean. They blend into their neighborhood enough that they don’t become the defining landmark. This point is furthered by Jayoung’s affiliate, Kim Seiyong: “Good architecture does not loudly impose its appearance but instead makes the people living and working there feel comfortable.” From that point, we can characterize Korean Presbyterian architecture as both subtle and utilitarian.

It’s a little unfair, then, that Catholicism has the monopoly on many architectural buzzwords: vault, apse, altarpiece, jamb, flying buttress. This makes it nearly impossible to design something unique.

You might be looking at the accompanying pictures and thinking, “What is this guy going on about? Those aren’t subtle at all.” Remember that these photographs isolate the building for the sake of composition. Make a trip out yourself and you’ll realize each of these churches is encircled by apartments and complexes taller than its highest point. They’re huge when standing alone, but are lost when taken in the context of urban sprawl.

Bear in mind the construction material as well. The Catholic churches use expensive materials, granite and marble chief among them, and look the part. The Presbyterian churches, on the other hand, use the more common materials – glass and concrete – and still manage to pull it off.

Presbyterians had to find a way to both match the impressiveness of a Catholic cathedral and fulfill the Korean philosophy of structure. The late Kim Swoogeun answered by establishing an aesthetic fusing traditional and modern styles in a way that demonstrated an understanding of space, scale, and proportion that best suited Korean ideals. His Kyungdong Presbyterian Church serves as a particularly excellent example.

Kim Jayoung, professor of architecture at Korea University, explained the fusion thusly: “Rather than big and famous architecture that focuses on the visual impact of appearance, I believe a building that thoroughly considers its occupants is good architecture. Well-designed architecture harmonizes with the surrounding townscape, links the past, present and future, and actively angles toward its users.”

I’ll summarize that statement in a word: subtlety. Korean Presbyterian churches are integrated into their surroundings. Sure, they can be easily identified, but they don’t scream

I’m fairly impressed the Presbyterian Churches could match the cathedrals, to be honest. I came into this article expecting the former to fall far short of the latter, but in researching this piece I realized just how suitable the churches are to the Korean aesthetic.

They really did develop a church style to rival that of the Catholics.

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Tessa Guze

12 I am a painter, and like any artist I paint because I have to. I can’t imagine not doing it - a big part of me needs to paint for some reason. Every professional artist is asked to come up with the reasons why they paint what they paint. Everyone wants the background story. They want a personal connection and a better understanding of the artwork.

As an artist it is important to know and understand yourself really well in order to be able to give these explanations.

The simple, and possibly most truthful answer, “I just felt compelled to paint that,” is not enough to satisfy galleries and keep your patrons engaged and interested. So artists come up with artist’s statements. This is where the more creatively you are able to express yourself in words, the luckier you are. Unfortunately, not all of us are good writers and not all of us are good at making up these explanations.

It can be extremely difficult to reach deep inside yourself and figure out what exactly motivated you to create a particular artwork. This is where usually truthful artists just give it their best guess, while other more “creative” artists find a good story to match their art. I don’t have a good story (at least not one I’m willing to share with professionals in my field), but I will give my best stab at a truthful explanation of my paintings.

This is difficult. My paintings are pretty straightforward, and I do have justification for why I paint naturalistically when most galleries shun representational work. Here is the reason: I want my work to communicate and engage as broad a range of people as possible, not only an educated elite who are willing to read tedious artist’s statements to find out why the art is relevant and interesting. To be honest, while realism artelemento10

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is something I like about my work and other representational and naturalistic work, I also paint realistically because I truly love it. I find the naturalistic work fascinating. As fun as playing with abstract colors and shapes might be it will never engage me the way the expression on the face of someone I love does.

is the people that pull me in. If left entirely to my own devices with no painting commissions or portfolios to build, I would probably paint only people and animals, portraits of random people whom no one else cares about or notices.

Many fine artists like to focus on their “inner world” and the perspective it gives them as an inspiration and rationale for their art. However, my inspiration is always drawn from exterior subjects, people or animals, - their emotions, their situations, and their perspectives. It is always drawn from the outer world, the world of sight and sound. The world of other people and creatures who can capture my interest, imagination and sympathy.

I love to live in different countries and experience the culture and daily life there, but it took me a long time to realize “travel” was something I was particularly interested in. It’s not really the new places, but more the people, culture, values, and perspectives that intrigue me. So traveling and sightseeing was never something I found especially interesting, I mean no more than any other young person. When I was young I just gravitated to people from different countries without really noticing it or understanding why.

A beautiful view or flower can strike me, but when I sit down to paint it

When I was a child I always had to be standing up for someone, protect-

A beautiful view or flower can strike me, but when I sit down to paint it is the people that pull me in.

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ing and defending. I’m not really sure why but I’ve always been drawn to the underdog, the downtrodden and the undervalued, the misunderstood and rejected. I always had to play devil’s advocate. I used to spend recess at school protecting insects from getting stomped on and getting into occasional fist fights or yelling matches with anyone who picked on my friends. I have no idea where this fire came from because when I got home and was alone I would just quietly draw. I honestly wish more of that fight had stuck with my as I grew older.

Unfortunately, now 99% of the time I find it much easier to be passive and agreeable and only speak up with a contrary opinion when with very close friends. However, I do still love to be quiet and alone drawing and I hope that I still take some of the fight with me into my paintings. People who are different from ourselves can be so easily misunderstood, dismissed, or worse, especially if their differences are seen as strange or threatening. So I use my fire now in the hope that my work can help people from different worlds seem more accessible to one another, and to show how much of life they actually share. artelemento10

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Performing Arts

By Doug Stuber

Rock Tigers Rock!

March 1st always sees newcomers in Gwangju, but none have ever been treated to a band as good as the Rock Tigers, a swinging “Kimchi-Billy” band (as guitarist Eddie dubs them), clearly the best band that has ever played Speakeasy. Geena’s vocals and stage presence exude major “let’s rock to the sweat makes puddles on the floor” appeal while the tight band keeps the joint rocking.

How dare I say the best band to ever play Speakeasy, even though I’m a major fan of Feed the Boats, BettyAss, and In Your Eyes? Because this band is poised to go viral. Think about it, how long has it been since a new rockabilly band struck an upbeat chord on MTV? If you can name two after the Stray Cats, God Bless You. Hence the timing is good, and after 11 years on stage, and, with the addition of Eddie on guitar, the star quality of Rock Tigers is a 10.

Their new CD, “Shut up and Deal” sold well after the show, sporting 11 songs.

They’ve produced CDs and EPs in the past, and this one is on the independent “Tiger” label.

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Are they ready for Europe and the big time? Yes.

Are they ready for Europe and the big time? Yes. Maybe Jisan Valley will launch them even more here in Korea (they are a staple on the Hang-Dae circuit) and if launched, they won’t have to change a dang thing to draw MTV or a major label.

I’m not worried that this will happen soon, so the next time you hear about the Rock Tigers coming to town, don’t miss it. Better yet, go to a club like DGBD in HangDae and see them on their home turf. Then you’ll be among the throng that saw them before they hit it big. Heck, maybe they already have.

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By Maria Lizak

V-Day Gwangju The Vagina Monologues 2013 and the V-Day campaign in Gwangju were held this spring to great reviews and they doubled their funds raised from the 2012 season.

Director, Leigh Hellman-Kang and Go-to Sweeper Extraordinaire, SyeJeong Diane Kim Brenner can sigh with relief after helping a cast and crew of 20 give three successful performances and seven fundraisers creating a movement in Gwangju to stop violence against women.

With the over five million won in funds raised, four local beneficiaries will receive 85% of the final total. This year four organizations have agreed to accept funds from 2013 TVM. They include three single mothers’ shelters and one anti-violence support shelter for immigrant women. All in Gwangju. 우리집 (Our House) 인애복지원 (InAe Welfare Center) 편한집 (Peaceful House) 광주이주여성지원센터 (Gwangju Settler Women Support Center) Comedic and tragic, The Vagina Monologues, are performances that are part of the movement to stop violence against women. Gwangju gave

monologues in English, Korean and one in Tagalog. Following rules set by the head honchos of V-Day, only 5% may be used for production costs. Ten percent of funds raised go to the international organization for the V-Day Spotlight Campaign which changes yearly. This year is the Congo Campaign and City of Joy. This year’s shows were held at Gwangju Art Hall in downtown Gwangju on April 27th & 28th. Local organizations, restaurants and bars provided skills and sponsorship. V-Day Gwangju thanks: Gwangju International Center, Gwangju News, GFN Radio Station, First Alleyway, Tequilaz, German Bar II, and the Athletic Supporters per their playbill.

Actresses from six countries included: Sarah Berry, Judy Woods, Lucy Maslen, Yuni Lee, Katerina Georgieva, Calen Cygan, Lynn Jeong, Christina Hutton, Ynell Lumantao, Hyein Kim, Amy Badenhorst, Amanda Serrano, and Rosie Hawkins. Carrie Levinartelemento10

son and Jenna Wouters were readers.

Maria Lisak assisted with promotion.

Sarah Pollak made this year’s logo.

Lorryn Smit led this year’s visual campaign with the assistance of Joe Wabe.

Jihyun Kim and Mira Kim assisted with Korean promotion.

Comedic and tragic, The Vagina Monologues, are performances that are part of the movement to stop violence against women.

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Creative Writing

Mirage of Hope

By Lisa Mac

My head is in hell but my heart is in heaven which is why I wander. I am a lover and a fighter but most of my life I’ve been just an and. So between and and but I have been in the search to connect and dissect my world as I’ve known it. A sob only speaks from the heart but the strength of my pulsing cranium wants release. In between, I’ve met my mouth and started speech as a replicant of both heart and mind through spirit. The soul says to let me converse for a while to other hearts and minds so I may meet a world for the first time. Rip me up or tear my apart but know that I am a part of all mankind. I am in search of kind humans who can understand what it is I mean and together we can breathe the same atmosphere and see the power of visualization from blurred vision. I am slant from swollen eyes. As a result, I shut my mental pictures and stayed silent in hopes of revelation.

Indeed, they came as I’ve been wan-

dering most of my life and searching to find the souls that would accept my flaws and errors. As a Jung personality test revealed, my extremely high percentile was as a judging type though I never expressed my judgments. I was usually busy judging my own actions and processing. Yet, the agonies that plagued most of my well being only meant “No rest for the wicked” written into many songs and used in movies and books, particularly Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Body Snatcher. Essentially, I harnessed the guilt; the deception of an undue and unbalanced responsibility as if it were my fault. Yet, my first vision within nature came the voices, so clear in relief. With them, I have learned to free my mind as I took my first breath in remembrance. “In your string of being, reflections and moral decay, what is it you’re looking for?”

“I guess the standards and the compassion of others.” artelemento10

“Have you done the same?”

“Yes, I have, well truthfully, no I haven’t.”

“Then tell me why?”

“You know why, it’s been a long process and often only in solitude and my own sequestration. I’ve been looking for meaning.”

“So have we, in search of light and dark, in hindsight and forethought, so you are not that different from us.

Begin your deliberations and we will guide you as we have protected you all along.”

“So, just start?”

“Without a doubt.”

Who are you? They ask in the shadows. While that has always been a question I’ve pondered, it became clearer as an answer. In respect to biology, my difference was not a crutch but deliverance. I knew early that the divergence of my adoption was a cultural fence that kept me in my own

artelemento10 principles but not entirely accurate.

Other than that, individually it comes down to the eye of the beholder. Realistically they are just forms and formal guidelines for our rationale and sense of knowhow, like affirmations, they our fortune cookies of the times. They are meant for the heart, not mind. At least that is what I see.

space. However, such reasoning would dissipate as well as any heritage that I was biologically aligned to. In time, my troubles have taken me along unknown avenues, dark corridors and empty halls. I was not a variety of personas or personalities but I had taken little bits and pieces of other people that I’ve encountered so that I would become more apparent. Throughout and with the beginning of time, children are also gatherings of those who have raised and guided them on Earth, particularly within personal homes.

However, rarely did I feel that anyone knew me or felt my presence so it’s not unusual that I talk to lasting ghosts.

It made me much older in retrospect.

These ghosts are not within a family but within the conscious party in my mind.

Do I hear voices? Sure, I do and it’s rarely discussed as institutions tried to define me and then classify me as theirs. Been there and done that, you know. Such tales as mine often remain behind harsh walls, sometimes never seeing the light of day but I can’t but help to climb or break down these barriers in giving my story. In a life of continuous struggle, I’ve laid down often in defeat but I must rise again in

attempt to break another colossal wall.

From the distance, I hear Push on through to the other side.

Living a life on the other hand is but a bloody mirage of hope, choices and laws. Sitting in jail, I was within the law, sitting at home I was with hope and sitting in a psychiatric ward, I was in the realm of choice. Although, the laws I rather refer to are the physical laws of nature within our codes of conduct, all the way up to universal laws. The variety in the interpretations of universal laws goes beyond the number three and in the search we become One. Then, am I truly insane for looking for aid or assistance in understanding?

In response, a murmur, Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full. Yes, I heard and answered them, the question for me was did they hear them too? Others must have heard them as well, for they saw the power of threes as I have. Yes, the power of threes, interestingly I see the start of family, the connection of mind, body and heart, three little birds, the three stars of Orion’s belt and ultimately in the Holy Trinity. Numerologists, like astrologists read too much emphasis on numbers. However, I lean against that school of thought with the same indifference that I have for astrology. As a kid, I did not know the actual month, date or even year of my birth in its accuracy and that has been my aim, for truth is precise and accurate. Modern day scientists consider the cosmological thought of numerologists and astrologists as a pseudoscience but common folk may read into it by whatever they are looking for, usually being a sense of alignment, reassurance, recalibration or simply in hope alone. I tend to view them similarly to modern personality tests which are based on scientific

As it is, well known astrophysicist, Neil De Grasse is quoted, “Recognize that the very molecules that make up your body, the atoms that construct the molecules, are traceable to the crucibles that were once the centers of high mass stars that exploded their chemically rich guts into the galaxy, enriching pristine gas clouds with the chemistry of life. So that we are all connected to each other biologically, to the earth chemically and to the rest of the universe atomically.” It has been the outward search and inward trek, asking questions and harboring answers concerning my own demise.

De Grasse again states, “The problem, often not discovered until late in life, is that when you look for things in life like love, meaning, motivation, it implies they are sitting behind a tree or under a rock.” In my continuum, I have lived enough but accomplished nothing of merit. I go with the ideas of a popular but unnamed saying, “We are all different, which makes us the same.” Yet, something unknown holds people back when I deal with them. It’s more like two negative magnets try-

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ing to push together and so I should have responded, “Flip me over there’s positive side, too.” Am I that so different? If so, the insidious nature of my existential mortality often wavered on whose choice was it to leave this Earthly shell? Is it mine or is it divine?

“The latter.”

“The ladder? To the stairs towards Heaven?”

“Indeed.”

The voices in my head are never loud or outside of my mental hearing so to admit to a psychiatrist that I heard voices would have had its own ramifications, opening up and pouring salt on any previous wounds. It’s complicated enough that I just would answer a simple “No.” Maybe in the distant future, if I were to have any arguments, it would be with the psychiatric bible but that’s another fight that would require me to find allies. Generally, I had a slight notion in the futility of arguing with inanimate things, such as ghosts, the television news and now the inter-

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net screen and honestly, those living around me would ask, no require me to shut my trap.

ensures a future, right? Then, am I any different from others explaining myself?

Well now, they offered their service to listen to me rant but often we would not go the distance of what I’d want to explore. I was usually quite disappointed and they were usually quite bored. A simple tit for tat, I guess.

Fortunately there would be a bridge or gap of laughter as yes, I would seem possessed by something other than what they normally perceived of me.

Thus, I must return to the past to reexamine, rearrange thoughts and memories. However, some things are lost and irreparable. Am I then that byproduct of the past? Of course I am.

I did not transcend the pain of stigmas and other people’s egos without purpose. I was lost more than once, broken more than twice and yet, I still journey within. Fortunately, I have inheritably known of Buddhist philosophy but at the age I first heard of him, I just thought of it as fluffy confusion with an esoteric lesson like a rock is not a rock but a gem that dances with water. Regardless, the lesson was often elusive.

Then let me fast forward to present day. If Futurama were to hold its own truths in the future, will the heads of bodies be placed in glass to survive the next couple of millennia’s? In a way, our thoughts have done just that. In the written word, we scour the planet to find the most archaic and organized preservations of our previous beings.

Perhaps, it is part of the human condition to seek beginnings, to understand our lapse or permanance, for the ability to apply them to present times. It artelemento10

General facts allow a testimony of turmoil and horrendous deceit but in an extensive period of time, messages from my heart started speaking but in faint whispers. Although I understood silence as its letter also denotes listen,

artelemento10 I was able to be still from the treacheries of the painful childhood that was handed to me, a childhood contending with the purpose or use of sex upon a young thing. So in most things, the simplest tasks of feelings, hope, joy, laughter and even talking became arduous as time moved forward. My heart eventually gave in to my reasoning and logic and I no longer felt the pulsing flow of life from within escaping with every breath I took but my blood ran cold and in time I was frozen. Sure, I made the daily routine of school attendance and looked the part of any other child but I went through bouts of emotional numbing until it seized me and wouldn’t release anything, no positive and no negative energy. Often I would refer to the sexual term frigid but in all other things, I only wanted to give warmth. With life, time does and doesn’t heal all wounds just as communication is not always the home for answers. So to take from a great song, I was sitting in limbo, just as Jimmy Cliff sang. I had to continue but I also needed to find an origin or home to place my conscience as it was in danger. I was doomed with an emotional extinction.

Art by garylaibart.deviantart.com

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Community

Colors of Korea By Ken Lee

Yellow has always played a vital role in Korea’s rich history and culture.

Usually, yellow symbolizes nature, safety, and accomplishment. However the meaning can vary depending where you are or who you talk to. In Korean shamanism there is a yellow amulet called Pujok in which the color symbolizes good luck. This was hung as a banner on top people’s houses or hand held as a lucky charm.

The yellow is important for this amulet as it was believed that evil spirits hated this color and made them stay away. In traditional Buddhist temples walls, roofs, and pillars are deco-

rated in the form of Dancheong which is based on 5 basic colors, and yellow being one of them symbolizes the element, Earth. In Hanboks (Korean traditional clothing) women wear a yellow blouse called Chogori to show that they are still single. In regional flags, the color yellow is used which have various meanings. Jeollabuk province’s flag has yellow markings which symbolizes peace. The flag for the city of Chongju has a yellow symbol which means glory, and Changwon’s flag has a yellow square which symbolizes the citizens.

However to me, yellow is one of the artelemento10

first signs of Spring and the coming of Summer. Apart from the Cherry blossoms plaguing the whole country, patches or even fields of Canola can be seen throughout Korea providing stunning beauty and picturesque landscapes. The withering of Canola (thanks to the unbearable scorching heat) is like a natural alarm signaling the arrival of summer ~_~ OK, I’m making it sound like the summer weather in Korea are the flames of Hell, it’s not…it’s actually my favorite part of the year! Despite overheating underneath my jeans and sweating gallons of water, it’s the time of year

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- Yellow Usually, yellow symbolizes nature, safety, and accomplishment.

However the meaning can vary depending where you are or who you talk to.

where people can finally turn off their heaters and venture out to discover new places.

The pictures were taken near my home in the metropolitan city of Gwangju. I always pass this area on the way to and back from work and have always wanted to snap some photos yet I didn’t want to do a simple landscape shot either. The moment came just right when a top expat blogger asked me to participate in the ‘Colors of Korea’ project. Of course it sounded like an interesting project and also an opportunity to stretch my limits as a photographer *crack knuckles*. As soon as I read the e-mail, images of the Canola fields ran through my mind, hence I knew for sure I wanted to do yellow~ I’m sure there are many more things in Korea which are ‘yellow’….yellow fruits like the Korean Melon, yellow desserts like mango bingsu, and even yellow dust….but the things above are what I think best describes my current state of mind and most importantly, spring.

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Poetry

Emily Newton Time

What is time, anyway? It’s slavery.

That’s what it is. It’s slavery because it has us chained by our throats and our testicles to follow its every order and it lives by its standard.

Breathe in its fumes of toxic waste to burn holes in our esophagus so it can seep into our souls and find a place it calls …home. Brainwashing us into thinking it is home and steal our name in such a clean slice that it conquers our identity, thus planting ideals of a “future” and a “past”, and what do we have left?

A façade of what we think is the ‘present’ - chewing up our energy and spitting it out as we become powerless in our own realities as slaves do.

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Believing that we need time so we are submerged in an obsession of ‘was’ and ‘will be’ as we blindly reach out to grasp anything that might relinquish and return our imprisoned souls…

But it is too late, this fabricated concept we call “time” has eradicated our freedom at its roots.

Flowing from our mouths and cuffing our own wrists with its face, all for what?

To give the weak-spirited a calculated explanation of this dimension for reassurance as if ‘reassurance’ actually exists through this conjured element - It doesn’t. Our standard of ‘life’ is one of which is bound by those chains of “time”, And we… We are nothing more than its puppet.

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By Dirty1

Searching for Sugar Man “But thanks for your time Then you can thank me for mine and after that’s said forget it” -Forget ItRodriguez

This great film I would recommend to anyone who has not seen it. The music and the story together make for a great film. At some points I wanted to cry, at some points I felt like I could fly. It was a real roller coaster ride, but not one of those sucky roller coasters that you ride and then regret that you wasted money on it. I am not usually this candid but what the heck this isn’t a normal review.

I saw rodriguez at a festival in 2000-and-something, but this film had me wondering if that was the real person. I was literally questioning the last ten years of my life. Was I living in

a dream world? Had my body ceased to exist and I was now just an imagination? How should I feel if this were the case? Could I be mad? Should I be happy because I am alive now? Am I really alive or is this just another avenue of the dream? No, I am not on any drugs or drunk. These questions seem kind of fitting to this movie.

I grew up in the states and never had I heard the music of Rodriguez, which is kind of odd because my dad and I listened to all kinds of music from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s all day every day. I did not discover Rodriguez until a few years ago. I don’t know why his music artelemento10

was not more accessible in the states. It is not because there is any lack of talent from him. Maybe because the record industry felt that there was not enough room for both him and Dylan. I don’t know.

You might think my ramblings are uncalled for since this is a review about a film and not music, but the music is really important and these statements and questions will make sense once you see the film so rent it, download it. Do whatever you need to, but make sure you see this film.

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By Lorryn Smit

So whether you are looking for a way to catch up on the latest Internet trends, want to find some exciting new content or are just bored and need to waste some time online, here are some of my discoveries.

Depending on your level of Internet usage, you may already know these sites but if you haven’t, chances are you’ll find them cool.

Michael Anthony Simon

Awkward Family Pictures

Michael Anthony Simon, one of Gwangju’s own, finally has a website displaying some of his awesome art pieces. :

Awesome portrayal of some very awkward family pictures from a different perspective… If nothing else you’ll have passed a couple of minutes with a laugh or two.

Bjørn Wad is a professional photographer from Oslo, Norway, who specializes in portraits, music, fashion and advertising. He recently took on a project about taking elderly portraits called ‘Tåsenhjemmet‘. This wonderful series is based on his experience working at the Tåsenhjem Nursing Home in Oslo while studying at the Norwegian School of Photography

http://michaelanthonysimon.com

http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com

http://bjornwad.com/

Bjorn Wad

Tonight’s

artelemento10 Watercolo r!

my 2010 new year’s RESOLUTION to PAINT (and give away FREE) WATERCOLORS every day. (yes, shipping too!) ART IS A GIFT. And here, it’s completely literal. …donations benefit your cause of choice. www.TonightsWatercolor.com ABOUT Tonight’s Watercolor!

Every night in 2010 Adam Greenberg painted a watercolor and posted it online; then he gave it away FREE “because art is a gift.” Though he no longer paints every day, Adam still posts and gifts new watercolors often.

Tonight’s Watercolor! is a resolution with intent for making his own “me time” of colorblind creation each day and he invites you to do the same. Adam’s art quickly raised over $500 for Haiti’s 2010 earthquake relief.

ENJOY Tonight’s Watercolor! featured pieces measure 8.5” x 11”

Mon. 18, Jan. 2010

Sun. 21, Mar. 2010

Wed. 31, Mar. 2010

WHO is the artist? full artist bio at http://bio.AdamGreenberg.com

Adam Greenberg had just turned 24 before Fri. 1, Jan. 2010; and probably not unlike yourself, he hadn't painted since 9th grade art class either. Thanks to an academic scholarship, Adam is a debt-­‐free 2007 graduate of the University of Miami, and oh so grateful to say he's had the most amazing years of his life since earning his B.S. – serving (twice now) with AmeriCorps NCCC; touring the US on the 2008 Campaign Trail aboard a school bus he helped convert to run on recycled waste vegetable oil and solar power (BioTour.org); and working as a community organizer, among much else. He is also a former intern of both TOMS Shoes (where he rebranded the mission statement) and President Obama’s White House.

Adam initially gave Tonight’s Watercolor! pieces away for FREE to people who donated to Haiti’s 2010 earthquake relief (yes, shipping too!) ...now he just gives them away for FREE anyway. To give art for the sake of giving art is a fine way to enjoy part of your day (contributions gladly accepted too, of course). Greenberg was raised in Wantagh, NY and has been an English teacher with EPIK at two high schools here in Gwangju since Feb. 2013. He’s really enjoying South Korea.

Watch the Denver 9 News video interview with Adam at http://interview.TonightsWatercolor.com.

ACCOLADES for Tonight’s Watercolor! unedited comments from facebook.com ¥

“Adam!!! Have I told you about the impressive inspiration you have been to us in Mexico? and the art we are creating thanks to your new year´s resolution? you rock. big time. GRANDE!!!”

¥

“I just got my piece in the mail!! It is completely awesome and I cannot wait to find the perfect spot for it!”

¥

“I like the thing you said about "me time"! Ever since I started working full time, I never had the "time" to paint.

Maybe I should start doing so again...”

CONTACT Adam Greenberg @ suggestions for a piece? FREE commissions, of course. +82 (010) 4932 -­‐ 0594 Adam@TonightsWatercolor.com

THANK YOU for reading and your support. make art. share it.

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