• Journal of architectural history
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• v.8 no.1 s.18
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• pp.53-62
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• 1999

Modernism in architecture is a very complex and contradictory phenomena. So much so that it has been defined in various ways throughout the history, depending on one's position in the cultural and historical circumstances. It is thus necessary to map out the various concepts of modernism and their relationships in order to have a more comprehensive understanding of modern architecture. This paper attempts to define the various positions as functionalism, formalism and artistic avant-gardism, and to trace their history from the early twentieth century to the present. The change of the concept of modernism from functionalism to artistic avant-gardism seems a logical process in the history of western modem culture. The tendency of contemporary architecture to be more abstract and self referential artistic practice reflects the fragmentation of modern culture and the separation of art and technology. The validity of this position, of course, depends on how one evaluates the role of modern art in the situation of modern culture. It could be viewed either negatively or positively. However, this position is problematic in that it disregards the fundamental differences between architecture and other arts and distanced architecture farther from its material base. Given this historical perspective on the concept of modernism, modernism in Korea should not viewed simply identical to the western modernism, nor should western modernism be imported uncritically. The characteristics of her modernization and their differences from the west should be considered, along with the different status and role of architecture in korean modern society.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.56 no.1 s.100
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• pp.81-96
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• 2006

Fashion is very superficial. However, it is expressed through the culture that is a cause of internal change and therefore its contents are defined by the cultural features. In this study, to study the aesthetic properties of the French fashion, the internal fashion contents are defined according to the cultural characteristics of France and based on the definition, the external features are investigated. The cultural characteristic was analyzed based on the reference literatures on the French culture. Based on the cultural characteristics of France, the aesthetical properties of the contemporary French fashion can be analyzed as follows: ${\cdot}$Dualism is the internal contents of the French culture with multiple sources, and it implies that opposing values such as female and male, traditionalism and modernism, simplicity and decoration are coexisting. Simplicity is pursued but decorative elements are in harmony and new phase of time is reflected while certain style has lasted for a long period of time to become a tradition. Furthermore, a rational trend combining masculinity and femininity, simultaneously exist with a trend that emphasizes feminine image. ${\cdot}$Multiculturism is a mysterious feature that has adapted the oriental or other cultural factors into the forms, patterns, colors and material of costumes. It has also been reconstructed with the French and the modern tastes. ${\cdot}$Avant-gardism is pursuing a novel aesthetic value against the former value system. It recognizes the human body as an object of figurative arts therefore emphasizes the body with geometric shapes to deny the fixed-idea, or engraft new materials and technologies to express the futuristic aspects.

• Journal of the Korea Furniture Society
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.91-101
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• 2001

This study explored the trend of postwar period American furniture design and analyzes the contexts of the trend. To be more specific, this study categorized the types of the styles or "looks" of furniture which were dominant in postwar period America: the machine look ; the handicraft look ; the biomorphic look. The background and the context for each look were traced back and analyzed both diachronically and synchronically. Based on the analysis, this study provided two conclusions. First, postwar period American furniture design is in many ways indebted to the World War II, because the war itself and postwar economic revival produced high demands for furniture, which consequently produced a variety of looks of furniture. Second, the furniture design in this period is attributed to commercialism and consumer-oriented design policy formulated in the mid 1920′s when American design established its own identity separating from European avant-gardism.