Notes to Readers

Scope of Research

Min Joung-ki (b. 1949) began showing his artworks in 1971, when he presented The Glass Menagerie at his graduation exhibition from the College of Fine Arts at Seoul National University, followed by four paintings in the group exhibition The Oil Painting Exhibition by Six Students, which he held with five classmates. He has held a total of nine solo exhibitions, from Min Joung-ki in 1983 at Galerie de Séoul to Min Joung-ki in 2019 at Kukje Gallery. He has also participated in at least 365 confirmed group exhibitions (1971–2020), from the aforementioned The Oil Painting Exhibition by Six Students at the Education Hall of Seoul National University to Art and Word 2020 at Hakgojae Gallery (2020).

             From February to December 2020, this project exhaustively researched the artworks, exhibitions, and other activities of Min Joung-ki from 1971 through July 2020. Our investigation has produced a comprehensive catalogue of Min’s works with images, confirmed titles, and descriptions based on artist interviews and other research; a detailed listing of his exhibitions; a listing of references and materials other than works; and a chronology of his life and works. In addition, a video featuring interviews with many people related to Min Joung-ki, including the artist himself, has been produced by

 IM Heung-soon and Bandal Doc., significantly enhancing the public awareness and understanding of Min’s exceptional career.

Our team went to great lengths to obtain high-quality images of all of Min Joung-ki’s works, which often required us to procure the necessary permissions from various copyright holders. The photographer’s name is listed in the “researcher’s note” of each work.

1. Artworks

1) Selection criteria for works to be cataloged

All known works produced by the artist from 1971 to July 2020 were catalogued. Some of his early works were photographed prior to their actual completion; in such cases, these images were also included in the catalogue and denoted with a “#” in the title. Some sketches and unfinished works were also included, as the final categories of the archive (especially the category of “materials other than works”) had not yet been finalized prior to the end of our research. 

2) Classification and chronology of works

The works were classified as either two-dimensional (e.g., oil or acrylic painting, lithograph, drypoint, silkscreen, drawing, etc.) or three-dimensional (e.g., relief sculptures made from paper, ceramic paintings, etc.). The works were registered in the archive and on the website in order of their year of production.

3) Titles of works

① First, the primary Korean title for each work was confirmed, based on exhibition publications and other relevant references. If multiple titles were found for a single work or if the title was unknown, the primary title was chosen and confirmed through consultation with the artist. If the title confirmed by the artist differs from the title listed in other references, the latter is also listed as an “alternate title,” with the source indicated. If multiple titles or conflicting information were found from different institutions (such as MMCA and SeMA), the primary title and information were chosen and confirmed through consultation with the artist.

② If an English title (or English translation of the Korean title) for a work was found in the reference materials, it was confirmed with the artist. If no English title or translation could be found in the reference materials, the Korean title was translated by a professional translator. This translation was then confirmed by the artist and listed as the primary title, with the source listed as “translation confirmed by the artist.”

③ If there are multiple works with the same title produced in the same year, the research team added a number or letter to the titles in order to distinguish the works, in consultation with the artist. Arabic numbers were used in this process.

④ Drawings, studies, sketches, unfinished works, etc. have a “#” in front of the title to distinguish them from the finished work.

⑤ For the artist’s illustrations and oil paintings related to the novels of Hwang Sok-yong, the English notations from Changbi Publishers were followed, after verification with the editorial department of Changbi Publishers.

⑥ The titles of illustrations of novels that serially published in newspapers were unified with the publication date in consultation with the artist.

4) Dimensions of works

① If the dimensions of works were found in exhibition data, those dimensions were confirmed in consultation with the artist and at the top. If different dimensions were found in other reference materials, they are also listed, along with the source.

② If the dimensions could not be found or were difficult to confirm, the dimensions were estimated in consultation with the artist. Those dimensions were then labeled as “estimated.”

③ After consultation with the artist, the dimensions for all of the newspaper illustrations were listed as “9 × 14 cm (estimated),” which is believed to be their rough size.

5) Collections

① Information about the current collection of the artist’s works was confirmed and checked in consultation with the artist. Our team made efforts to contact every known collector, both private and institutional, to confirm the whereabouts and ownership of the artist’s works. If the current collection could be confirmed, it was listed in the archive.  

② If any institution or private collector wished to remain private, their information was not listed.

③ If management of the collection has changed, the changes are recorded in the “researcher’s note.”

2. References and materials other than works  

1) For references and materials other than works, only the parts relating to Min Joung-ki are registered on the Korean Artist Digital Archive website. Also, if any reference material (such as a catalogue) relating solely to Min Joung-ki was too large to fully upload onto the site, only the cover, table of contents, list of works, and bibliographic information were registered.

2) For certain references and materials other than works, no cover image could be found, either online or offline. In those cases, the estimated date of publication and any other identifiable information is listed in the “researcher’s note.”

3) Some of the most important materials for understanding the artist’s works and activities are scrapbooks. Each scrapbook was treated as a single reference, with a brief description of its contents and scope included in the “researcher’s note.”

4) In addition to the scrapbooks, the “materials other than works” also include selected photos from the artist’s extensive travels (while researching his works) and from his notable acting career in theater, film, and television.

5) Some images do not appear on the website because the copyright could not be acquired from the owner. In such cases, the relevant information about the image was recorded in the system. If the copyright issue is resolved in the future, the website will be updated with the images.

3. Exhibition history

1) Exhibition information

Basic information about the exhibitions, such as the title, dates, location, featured works, and curator, was obtained from exhibition materials (leaflet, brochure, catalogue) and registered.

2) Verification of exhibition information and works

If any discrepancies in the exhibition information were found in various sources, the correct information was confirmed in consultation with the artist, and the discrepancies were listed in the “researcher’s note.”

3) Exhibition prefaces

Any texts specified as exhibition prefaces or forewords were registered, while other critical writings from exhibition materials were registered in the citations section.

4. Citations

1) Exhibition materials and references

The most useful citations and quotations were collected and registered from exhibition materials and critical articles from periodicals, books, and newspapers.

2) Artist’s writings, interviews, talks

As for the artist’s own writings, the full text was registered whenever possible, unless the length was too great. For talks or interviews that included other participants, the full text of each person’s discussion was included for proper understanding.

3) Articles and critical reviews

Significant articles and critical reviews of the artist’s works and exhibitions were collected and registered. In some cases, articles about exhibitions were included even if they did not mention the artist by name, if the theme of the exhibition is notable in art history.

4) Selection Criteria

Articles that were deemed to duplicate promotional materials or mistakenly reported on the artist’s activities were not included in citations.

5. Chronology

1) Organization of Chronology

Prior to the interview with the artist, we thoroughly researched and collected basic information about his life and career, including his birth, childhood, family, work activities, and social relationships, which was then used to make a rough chronology. We then checked all of this information with the artist during the interview, and reorganized the chronology accordingly.

2) Verification process

The final chronology was completed during the course of transcribing the interview, with all information being reconfirmed by the artist. Thus, some events and activities that had never been recorded in previous materials were revealed and registered. The date of the artist interview and relevant sources of information were included in the “researcher’s note.”

3) Notes

All of the artist’s solo exhibitions were included in the chronology. Some group exhibitions were also included, if they enhanced the understanding of the artist’s activities during a certain period. The English chronology is abridged from the Korean version.