The purpose of this paper is to clarify the changes of 'taste' from 1990 's to 2010' s through newspaper articles. The paper is a record of timeliness and regularity. Therefore it was used as an effective data to understand the specific tastes and the...
The purpose of this paper is to clarify the changes of 'taste' from 1990 's to 2010' s through newspaper articles. The paper is a record of timeliness and regularity. Therefore it was used as an effective data to understand the specific tastes and the background of each period in this study.
In this study, 'taste' is defined as 'a sense of individuality and a modern sense that presupposes a specific object that reveals it'. Based on this concept of taste, research scope and method were set up in three aspects: the first being time, the second being design and object, and the third focusing on the subjects of taste. Through the analysis of the taste of each period, the characteristics of taste in Korean design culture could be summarized in three points.
The first can be found in the correlation between the economic situation and the taste of the times. Looking at the statistical trend of the 1990s, in its phase of economic prosperity it showed that interest and consumption regarding taste were very active, but after the IMF crisis the discussions on the matter saw a rapid decrease. The changes in the volume of discussions about tastes and economic fluctuations generally coincided with their inflection points. On the other hand, despite the global financial crisis in 2008 and the following economic downturn, which lasted until the 2010s, there was a steady increase in discussions on tastes and related products. Based on these statistics, demand related to taste can be understood as a 'fruit of affluence', but also as a 'refuge from anxiety' in times of recession.
The second is the medium that leads to the formation of taste. Tastes were discussed in various design categories, the most prominent of which were ‘objects’ and 'new media'. In both media, tastes were formed in different ways. First, objects are ‘subjects of taste,’ shaped in the visual style of the product, and a group of taste is formed by owning a specific product. On the other hand, in the new media which emerged in the 2000s, various categories of tastes were visualized through internal contents. Through this, scenes displaying their own taste as an image were produced, and a community of taste was formed through them.
The third is the subjects of interpellation of the times. In the previous analysis, it was found that subjects of various tastes appeared. However, the subject of 'Taste of ○○○' was also a group interpellated, and desired, by the times. Through this, I classified and studied the subject in three groups. First, the 'New Generation' (1990s) and 'Hipster' (2010s) are characterized by their rejection of past or future. Their interpellation was by the time of change, a time of divergence from the course of the past. Second, 'Early Adopters' (2000s) and 'Otakus' (2010s), both of which possess unprofessional expertise, are seen as the subjects formed by the emergence of new media platforms. Third, I viewed that gender groups-'female tastes' (1990s) and 'male tastes' (2010s)-were emphasized of their decorative aspects due to the 'fast fashion' phenomenon.
Generally we have understood ‘taste’ as simply a concept closely related to one’s individuality, but in actuality an individual’s taste is formed only through mutual interactions with the times. In this context, this thesis is most meaningful in the fact that it reflected upon the changes and characteristics of taste in the aspect of design culture from the 90’s to the present. I hope to see various discourse on specific design culture phenomenon relevant to taste will emerge in the future.