Art / News
Bristol artist draws intricate map of North Korean capital
A 15-year long artistic odyssey continues for a Bristol artist with his latest intricate pen and ink map.
Gareth Fuller’s ‘Purposeful Wanderings’ series has already included London, Bristol and Beijing, with his newest work a unique visual representation of Pyongyang, once again playing with ideas of cartography, illustration and psycho-geography.
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The artwork was produced with the support of Koryo Studio — a British-run initiative helping international creatives gain access to and understanding of North Korea, including the likes of Magnum photographer Carl De Keyzer and travel documentary maker Michael Palin.
Signed editions of 1,000 silkscreen prints of ‘Tourist Map Of Pyongyang’ have been produced
A detail of Fuller’s ‘Tourist Map Of Pyongyang’
Fuller wants to make his work more accessible to those outside the art world’s usual circles, and spark wider conversation and thought about Pyongyang.
“If this work starts a conversation then it has served its purpose as art,” said Fuller, whose map of Bristol was acquired by Bristol Museum & Art Gallery for its permanent collection.
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Read more: Bristol24/7 Artist of the Month: Fuller
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Ryugyong Hotel: “For many this imposing landmark is the signature building of Pyongyang. Part science fiction, part pyramid, the shadow cast by this megastructure reaches across your mind and the city.”
Pyongyang Ice Rink: “An indoor venue on the bank of the Pothong River. This eccentric brutalist building is a particular favourite of mine. It stands to attention on a flat open space, like a lost shuttlecock from the stadium next door.”
First female pilot: “I decided to include a plane flown by the first North Korean female pilot, who I was told had dinner with Kim Il Sung in a hidden bunker, to recognise her achievements. The bunker was used during the Korean War, located in a wooded valley, in the centre of Pyongyang. A black dragon lived in the valley and was known for dancing in the white clouds. Or so the story goes. Both of these tales stayed in my mind.”
Party Foundation Monument: “What struck me immediately was the alignment of the monument with Mansu Hill. Across the river, stand two immense bronze statues of the leaders. They face the people presented in the Party Foundation Monument. This connection, which is incredibly direct, was transmitted across the residential blocks for all to see.”
“Typically, my process begins with unbridled exploration without boundaries or borders,” Fuller said.
“I wander freely — a type of dérive — and enjoy abundant access to the landscape around me.
“North Korea’s capital proved to be the opposite experience. Scheduled and tightly planned, I would walk well-trodden routes as I was invited to marvel, like the tourists before me, at the socialist wonderland.
“This alternative experience with the environment, and clash with my normal methods, was a dominant theme that I put to question throughout my time in the city and while creating the work itself.
“I felt uncomfortable with the task ahead of me. But it was also an exciting place to be with my work. And so I began to deposit drawings as memories.
“They depict the things I saw: a collection of gathered stories and experiences; cultural deposits; reflections on design, form, shape and pattern; an investigation of the city as presented to me.”
For more information, visit www.fullermaps.com/artworks/pyongyang
Read more: Interview: Fuller
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