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- Title
THE APPLICATION OF TRADITIONAL KOREAN PAINT AND LACQUER TO PAST WOOD AND MODERN WORKS.
- Authors
Hyunseob YOON
- Abstract
This study aims to elaborate on lacquer, East Asia's traditional paint, as a medium for contemporary art as well as the usage and preservation of lacquered wood. Specifically, it introduces past records and practices involving lacquer, uses science and technology to present the reasons behind the durability of lacquered wood, and describes how lacquer is currently used as an artistic medium. Lacquer is a natural paint made by purifying the sap extracted from the lacquer tree distributed in the East Asian region. Lacquer is mostly composed of urushiol (60%-80%). The other components include water (10%-30%), gum (3%-8%), and additional substances (1%-3%). Once lacquer is dried and the film is formed, it becomes a high polymer that changes little even when soaked in strong acids (e.g., hydrochloric acid, acetic acid, and aqua regia), alkali, salt, and alcohol. Therefore, it outperforms other paints in terms of adhesive strength, waterproofness, antiseptic effect, insulating nature, and durability. Urushiol, whose chemical formula is C21H34O2, is a liquid mixture of catechol compounds bearing a C-15 main chain and unsaturated side chains. Lacquer film is a high-molecular compound with the molecular weight of polymeric urushiol ranging between 20,000 and 30,000. Additionally, the film features a three-dimensional network of molecular binding, making it exceptionally strong. The dried lacquer film is covered with another thin rubbery film, blocking oxygen and thus preventing oxidation. The use of lacquer for wood preservation varies between Korea, China, and Japan due to differences in geographical location, climate, and cultural influence. Going beyond its previous role of reproducing tradition and making lacquered products, lacquer, with its untapped potential as a new artistic medium, has made its way into contemporary art, whose genres and focus on material characteristics have diversified.
- Subjects
EAST Asia; LACQUER &; lacquering; CHEMICAL formulas; ART materials; MOLECULES; PRESERVATION of wood
- Publication
Pro Ligno, 2023, Vol 19, Issue 4, p181
- ISSN
1841-4737
- Publication type
Article