김용준의 해방공간 행장과 서울대학교 미술대학

Abstract

Kim Yong–Joon(金瑢俊 1904–1967) is one of most prominent artists in the history of the twentieth century art who has established aestheticism and specific belief that tradition takes precedence over everything else. Moreover, he is the author of a book called Summary of Arts in Joseon Period, which consists of theories in art history, art criticism, and essays. is book is believed to be a masterpiece in the history of Korean Art criticism. The main purpose of this dissertation is to restore and reconstruct Kim Yong–Joons whereabouts and thoughts from 1945 to 1950. He defected to North Korea in September 1950. is process is successful in fulfilling the needs to reestablish the life of one important person. Furthermore, this dissertation will lead the readers to have a vivid image of why Kim Yong–Joon, an artist and critic with great intellectual background from the Japanese Colonial Period, decided to defect from South to North in times of war. His life can be divided into three periods. e first part is the colonial era, the second part is the time when he seeks for the space of emancipation, and the last part is the time when he tries to convert to socialism. During the early years, he cling to aestheticism and the belief that tradition takes precedence over everything else. During the second period, he stuck to nationalism, and socialism in the late years. Although he was an intellectual who had a nationalistic view for five years during the second period, he never abandoned the aesthetic principles he had during the early years and he never engaged in any of the political movement of that time. Rather, he severely criticized those, regardless of their political inclination, who were against democratic or nationalistic principles. This evidently shows Kim Yong–Joons humanistic characteristic and this means that he emphasized greatly the restoration of conscience. However, there was not much to do for an artist who resisted political participation since there was a confrontation between powerful nations. However, Kim Yong–Joon was one of the establishing members of Seoul National Universitys Art department during those five years. He also established a basis in ink–and–wash painting and painting in the literary artists style. Moreover, those five year–period, when he was in search of emancipation, certainly plays an important role in the field of essay literature and art history, even in the present. This five–year–period can be divided into four different stages. 1) First is the time when he participated in Joseon Art Building Headquarters, Joseon Artists Association, Joseon Writers Association from August 1945 to March 1946. 2) Second stage is when he was a professor of Seoul National University from May 1946 to March 1947, and 3) from 1948 to 1949, he resigned from Seoul National University and taught at Dongguk University. 4) In 1950, he returned to Seoul National University and then finally defect to North Korea. During the early years, Yong–Joon participated in several art associations as an executive member. Although he adhered to this perspective of advocating unity, he turned rightist and insisted that nationalism is more important than class strife. He intentionally kept himself at a distance with those in the leftist party. He concentrated mainly in publications which were made by those who had conservative deviations. In the years 1946 and 1947, he was one of the foundation members of Seoul National Universitys Art department. At that time, Kim Yong–Joon criticized those who had extreme political views. While he advocated humanism and democracy, he specifically emphasized that Joseon needed to be unified unlike the Soviet Union and the United States. He also believed that Joseons individual characteristics would evolve from intense nationalism. Moreover, he maintained his indifferent attitude since what he participated in was not a political movement but a cultural movement. He showed how strictly he had adhere to his values by resigning with several other professors like Kim Whanki and Gil Jinsup when there were complications within the university. In the latter period, he collected a number of his essays and published Geunwon Essays and the following year, he published Summary of Arts in Joseon Period. He indulged in antique paintings and calligraphic works at that time. In late 1948, he resigned and took part in the Art Research Association as a scholar. The reason why he moved to this genuine scholarly sphere is because he fell into despair in reality which seems impossible for him to pursue his ideals. Pro–Japanese groups became powerful and the gap between the rich and the poor has gotten worse. He decidedly thought that our nation was about to collapse soon. All he had left in mind was cynicism. In the closing period, he returned to Seoul National University as the dean and declared that he will participate in some of the movements that were for the nation and the people. However, this only lasted for about three months and he left Seoul to go to Pyeongyang. These five years in search of emancipation were one of the most memorable periods in his entire life. e Passion for independence that he had in the beginning seemed to have faded as division between the United States and the Soviet Union, and the right and the left seemed inevitable. In the early years, he strictly separated political and cultural movements. He later put an effort to establish an art institute, and even published the very first art history book. However, he witnessed the reality which seemed to develop in the opposite direction of what he had dreamed of. That is why he had to leave cultural movements in the early years, educational movements in the middle period, scholarly movements in the latter times. War made Kim Yong–Joon eventually defect to the North. In this period of great changeover, one intellectual had to go through all these changes. It certainly did not come suddenly. is came after all the processes which made him feel passionate, despairing, and cynical. is would also mean that the five–year–period of searching for emancipation can symbolize the history of Korean art in the twentieth century and all the hardships at that time.

김용준(金瑢俊 1904–1967)은 20세기 미술사상 가장 빼어난 문장력을 갖춘 미 술인으로 미술계에 심미주의(審美主義) 및 상고주의(尙古主義)를 확립시켰으 며, 미술사론과 비평, 수필을 아울러 엮은 5권의 『근원 김용준 전집』이란 불후의 노작을 남기고 간 20세기 미술계의 거목이다.1 이 글은 김용준의 행장(行狀) 가운데 42살 때인 1945년부터 47살 때인 1950년 9월 월북할 때까지 행적(行蹟)과 사유(思惟)를 복원, 구성하는 것을 목 적으로 한다. 물론, 창작 및 비평 활동을 제외할 것이다. 이 5년 동안 김용준의 행적은 1945년 조선미술건설본부와 조선미술가협회, 1946년 3월 전조선문필 가협회 그리고 1946년 5월 무렵부터 1948년 12월 무렵까지 서울대학교 예술학 부 미술부 재직, 1949년 3월부터 동국대학교 강사, 1949년 2월 미술연구회 참 가, 1950년 서울대학교 복귀로 요약할 수 있다. 그리고 5년 동안 수필, 시평, 비 평, 논문과 같은 여러 유형의 글을 발표하였고 두 권의 저서도 출간했으며 장정 (裝幀) 또한 상당수를 제작했다. 이러한 경력만을 보면 초기는 미술단체, 중기 는 교육기관, 말기는 학술단체에 몸담는 변화의 역정에도 불구하고 김용준의 해방 5년은 굴곡 없이 평탄해 보인다. 이 기간 동안 김용준은 사회주의 계열 단체에 가담한 적도, 사회주의 경향 의 견해를 밝힌 적도 없다. 그럼에도 불구하고 김용준은 1950년 6월 25일 전쟁 발발 직후 조선민주주의인민공화국 통치체제에 적극 합류하였고 9월 28일 인 민군 후퇴 직전 가족과 함께 월북(越北)하였다. 왜 월북하였던 것인가. 이러한 의문은 지금껏 풀리지 않았고 또 원인을 규명하려는 노력을 기울인 바도 없다. 2007년에 간행한 『근원전집 이후의 근원』에서 지금까지 어떤 연보(年譜)보다도 상세한 연보를 게재하였지만 그 연보에 나타난 행적만으로는 김용준의 선택과 그 이유를 알 수 있는 것은 아니다