Dokkaebi: Korean Motifs Published by Wasmuth.
Edited by Sang-Soo Ahn. Essay by Young-Joo Yim. The Dokkaebi, Korean goblins who have soft spots for pretty girls and hedonistic feasts, thrive in folktales and as gargoyle-like ornamental totems. Throughout Korean history, they have been interpreted as evil spirits, bogeymen or ghosts of the dead, but always phantoms that bewitch, play tricks on, and make fun of human beings with their grim, uncommon powers and strange talents. Some are said to look very much like humans, some like fantastic animals, and some like dragon-esque hybrids. Here, source photographs of traditional representations accompany stark, strikingly tattoo-like black-and-white designs based on them, which are interleaved on glossy pages. A must-have for anyone interested in Asian art, mythological creatures or tattoos.
|
