종교의 물질적 표상(表象)에 나타난 빛의 상징적 표현 연구 - 기독교 종교건축을 중심으로 - (A Study on the Symbolic Expressions of Light represented through Physical Symbols of Religion)

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 사단법인 한국조형디자인협회
· 수록지 정보 : 조형디자인연구 / 12권 / 1호 / 169 ~ 185페이지
· 저자명 : 최단하

초록

Through light, humans recognize an object and perceive the ultimate truth as well as the highest power. This is a universal perception across the world throughout the time. Light is so precious in that it can renews not only physical darkness but also mental glooms.
From today’s perspective, light is a target of scientific research. A long journey of exploration on light, however, started from philosophy. In the western philosophy, the symbolic meaning of light is presented well in the idea that God is light and all sacred things are revealed to us through light. The meaning of light has been presented in various manners in the attempts to interpret the world philosophically as well as in creating religious symbols. For instance, ‘Idea’ by Platon and ‘Emanation by the One’ of the Plotinus theory both were symbolized as light. In 313, the Edict of Milano by Constantine the Great allowed a freedom of religion and as a result, there appeared sacred places to carry out religious rituals. During the time, Saint Augustine established the Christianity theory as a religion of light where Idea is another name of the world of God; the light of the One in the Plotinus theory is the light given by Demiurge; and ‘purification of soul’ is salvation.
The Middle Ages witnessed the blossom of ‘the art of light’ and ‘the construction of light’ called as the era of light. For a thousand years, from 5 Century to 15 Century before the advent of Renaissance, the religious art based on Christianity had prospered, taking a deep root in the Western culture and art. The concept of “beauty” had dramatically influenced by the Plotinus theory during the medieval times. In the ancient Greece, the standard of “beauty” was on a beautiful “shape” with a perception that the more beautiful shapes are, the more essence of beauty is augmented. On the other hand, in the Middle Ages, beauty was thought to be in the light coming from God, i. e. emanation by the One, and thus more emphasis were put on color and light. Against the backdrop, artists in the Middle Ages struggled to express invisible and transcendent light in a visible form. They used glittering material such as gold, silver, jewel or glass as well as natural light or candles in order to symbolize super-sensual light coming from God. Super-sensual light was able to be symbolized as physical objects in various religious constructions. According to construction styles, the way of expressing light and impacts thereof differ while the meaning that light symbolizes is universal. Light physically comes inside a construction through skylight windows. Expressing light through a window has been the most popular way throughout the history. People in the Middle Ages tried to resolve structural problems of construction to open a skylight window and as a result, they created the Gothic style which is an artistic culmination of the time. In addition, stained glass, which manipulates light by its colors, had been developed. Light coming out of stained glasses greatly expresses a sense of magnitude and sacredness; and became an essential component in religious constructions of the Middle Ages.
In the modern world, religion and the art have their own independent areas. But, in the pursuit of essence, religion tries to symbolize its spirituality through the art while the spirit of the art pursues a transcendent world like religion. In that sense, religion and the art can be united.
Various cultures around the world have put special symbolic meanings on light. Christianity symbolizes light as good while darkness as bad. Louis Kahn presented new interpretation on light and silence. In addition, in the Dangun mythology, light stands for new world. There is, however, one common thing shared by all cultures throughout the time. That is, a symbolic meanings of light represented through physical symbol impose a meaning on spiritual and essential light.

영어초록

Through light, humans recognize an object and perceive the ultimate truth as well as the highest power. This is a universal perception across the world throughout the time. Light is so precious in that it can renews not only physical darkness but also mental glooms.
From today’s perspective, light is a target of scientific research. A long journey of exploration on light, however, started from philosophy. In the western philosophy, the symbolic meaning of light is presented well in the idea that God is light and all sacred things are revealed to us through light. The meaning of light has been presented in various manners in the attempts to interpret the world philosophically as well as in creating religious symbols. For instance, ‘Idea’ by Platon and ‘Emanation by the One’ of the Plotinus theory both were symbolized as light. In 313, the Edict of Milano by Constantine the Great allowed a freedom of religion and as a result, there appeared sacred places to carry out religious rituals. During the time, Saint Augustine established the Christianity theory as a religion of light where Idea is another name of the world of God; the light of the One in the Plotinus theory is the light given by Demiurge; and ‘purification of soul’ is salvation.
The Middle Ages witnessed the blossom of ‘the art of light’ and ‘the construction of light’ called as the era of light. For a thousand years, from 5 Century to 15 Century before the advent of Renaissance, the religious art based on Christianity had prospered, taking a deep root in the Western culture and art. The concept of “beauty” had dramatically influenced by the Plotinus theory during the medieval times. In the ancient Greece, the standard of “beauty” was on a beautiful “shape” with a perception that the more beautiful shapes are, the more essence of beauty is augmented. On the other hand, in the Middle Ages, beauty was thought to be in the light coming from God, i. e. emanation by the One, and thus more emphasis were put on color and light. Against the backdrop, artists in the Middle Ages struggled to express invisible and transcendent light in a visible form. They used glittering material such as gold, silver, jewel or glass as well as natural light or candles in order to symbolize super-sensual light coming from God. Super-sensual light was able to be symbolized as physical objects in various religious constructions. According to construction styles, the way of expressing light and impacts thereof differ while the meaning that light symbolizes is universal. Light physically comes inside a construction through skylight windows. Expressing light through a window has been the most popular way throughout the history. People in the Middle Ages tried to resolve structural problems of construction to open a skylight window and as a result, they created the Gothic style which is an artistic culmination of the time. In addition, stained glass, which manipulates light by its colors, had been developed. Light coming out of stained glasses greatly expresses a sense of magnitude and sacredness; and became an essential component in religious constructions of the Middle Ages.
In the modern world, religion and the art have their own independent areas. But, in the pursuit of essence, religion tries to symbolize its spirituality through the art while the spirit of the art pursues a transcendent world like religion. In that sense, religion and the art can be united.
Various cultures around the world have put special symbolic meanings on light. Christianity symbolizes light as good while darkness as bad. Louis Kahn presented new interpretation on light and silence. In addition, in the Dangun mythology, light stands for new world. There is, however, one common thing shared by all cultures throughout the time. That is, a symbolic meanings of light represented through physical symbol impose a meaning on spiritual and essential light.

참고자료

· 없음