The Contemporary Metal Urns : Art and Symbolism

현대 금속 골호작품의 조형적 특징과 상징적 의미 연구

The researcher has tried to develop the aesthetic value of the art and the function of metalwork in conjunction with our daily life. especially has been eager to develop the new possibility of metal urns through the investigation of ordinary metalwork. Funeral urns are vessels to fill the ashes of bodies. As the social issues, including problems of restricted land territory and environmental pollution are awakening, many people are much concerned about the use of urns in recent days. Although social concerns about cremation and urns are getting high, most urns in Korea have been made of ceramic and stone. The shape of old urns are pot style with lids, and their color is simple white or jade green. Moreover, old urns are expensive, unpractical, simple, and furthermore, the feature of urns has not preserved the sense of beauty. In this context, we have narrow choices to select urns, and it has been difficult for us to be familiar with the old-style urns. Therefore, the need for developing metal urns are necessary as the increase of public concerns towards cremation is widely spreading. As it is well known, metal is not only regarded as hard, antibacterial, pro-environmental material , but also regarded as good substance for urns. Metal is also suitable for making urns because of metal's characteristics of easy processing, mass production, and cheap price. The researcher has been tried to find the possibility of art of metalwork through the dissemination of metal urns to the public. The researcher has also attempted to represent the characteristics and symbolic implications of contemporary metal urns for ordinary people to adopt metal urns as their 'Rite Haven'.