Abstract

This paper aims to shed new light on ethnic record painting, which has long been dismissed as political propaganda, by examining the background and process of the first exhibition of ethnic record paintings held in 1967 at the Gyeongbokgung Palace Museum and its impact on later generations. The production and exhibition of the national documentary in 1967 was the first such attempt, with all efforts concentrated on its execution. In terms of the scale of participating artists and the number of works, it was the most prominent compared to subsequent projects. Artists, receiving overwhelming support, developed their creative abilities while working on large canvases ranging from 500 to 1000 in size. This experience provided them with an opportunity to solidify their standing in the art world. However, it is worth noting that the early themes of ethnic documentation were centered on war, and the brief two-month production period resulted in insufficient historical verification and compromised artistic quality. From the 1970s onward, the establishment of advisory and verification committees to address the issues revealed during the first ethnic documentation project can be considered a positive outcome of the 1967 Ethnic Documentation Exhibition. By supplementing research on the current existence of works, the working methods of artists, their economic compensation, and specific production processes, the significance of the first National Record Painting Exhibition in 1967 can become even clearer within the history of modern and contemporary art.