사진으로 보는 서울의 삶과 역사 - 역사의 가변성과 기록의 진실 -

Abstract

As history in Seoul, which is seen by photograph, is actually a phase of Korea's modern and present history, it is the collective memory common to all of us, who proceed with living in the contemporary period. This record is holding sentiments, sensation, and unforgettable bitter pain that we had experienced for one turbulent century in the past. Unlike the history of being stated with an alphabet, the history, which is witnessed with a photo, is revealed as a fragment of truth, which hints at any probable fact from the always fragmentary fact in the past, and never has general statement or structural system in one group. The record in a photo, which results in being revealed as the collective experience, is always pointing to the truth of history. Thus, 「Life and history in Seoul seen by photograph」, which was set to discourse, doesn't aim at the generally historical statement or academic quest on Seoul. The ultimate intention of narration is to infer the probable memory or the collective memory, which seems to have existed, in today's large city Seoul while proceeding with following particularity in photo medium, which was chosen as medium of revival. A photograph also becomes the excellent medium of revival that witnesses truth of memory from changeability in history. That is because a photo can show the distorted history, but can never distort truth of memory. The record photograph in Seoul, which destructs and distorts history, namely, the destructive History, which was shown from a photo, is related mostly to the collective ideology for governing. It is clearly indicated especially in the propaganda photo for the Korean-race liquidation policy in Japanese imperialism and in the ideology photo for military dictatorship. The dark collective history in this way furtively enters the tunnel of oblivion along a flow of time. Nevertheless, the life and history in Seoul can never understand reality just with vivid memory in the past and promise future. That will be just dilemma in oblivion and memory. Oblivion for future is important as well enough for memory as exposure in life and history of Seoul, which is revealed with a photo.