Shin Yun Bok, ‘Dance with two swords’, 1758/1858

Shin Yun Bok, ‘Dance with two swords’, 1758/1858

What do I know?

‘Dance with two swords’ is a colour on paper painting done by artist Shin Yun Bok. The painting depicts two gisaeng women performing a traditional sword dance known as ‘geommu’ for a group of Yangban men and women which are also known as the upper class. To many viewers it just looks like a normal painting but there is a hierarchal structure illustrated, the upper class are shown sitting across the top of the painting whilst the court musicians are shown at the bottom and the gisaeng women are in the centre catching the viewers gaze instantly. There is a compelling atmosphere depicted of the gisaeng women through their powerful yet delicate nature of the sword dance.

What do I think?

The first thing I am drawn to were the gisaeng women fighting in the middle of the painting, not only because they were in the centre but because of the bright and bold colours used in their garments making them automatically stand out amongst the rest. This is interesting for me because stereotypically the upper class would always stand out amongst the lower class due to their flamboyant nature and luxurious clothes. However, in this painting the upper class look like mere commoners and the lowest class of the society are capturing my attention.

What next?

I am interested in the fact that there is a deeper meaning to a painting that just looks like its depicting a fight amongst two women and would like to incorporate the power dynamic shown within my work.
I am also very fond of the colours used in the painting and maybe would use this as a consistent colour palette. The bright red and blue shades make the garments and gisaeng women pop amongst the beige background.

Research