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North v. South Uniform

The 38th parallel north, originally marking the boundary between U.S. and Soviet administration in Korea post-World War II, became a de facto international border with the establishment of North Korea (DPRK) and South Korea (ROK) in 1948. The Korean War erupted in 1950, leading to over three million deaths and ending in 1953 with the creation of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) following an armistice agreement. This agreement moved troops back 2,000 meters on each side, forming a 4 km wide buffer zone along the Military Demarcation Line (MDL). Despite the armistice, large troop presences and sporadic violence persist along the DMZ. Two villages, Daeseong-dong in South Korea and Kijŏng-dong in North Korea, remain within the DMZ under special arrangements. To prevent North Korean incursions, the U.S. exempted the DMZ from its anti-personnel landmine elimination pledge in 2014, though a joint landmine removal process began in 2018.

In this work from 2005, I explore the profound and ongoing division of the Korean Peninsula through a meticulously hand-cut paper dress. The upper half of the garment symbolizes North Korea, characterized by an unflattering stiff, rigid structure with sharp angles, and hard folded paper lines. Ornate layered military adornments of cut paper are interspersed with stark, empty spaces reflect the authoritarian regime and its emphasis on military might over personal freedom. Paper shackles hinder the wearer.

In contrast, the lower half represents South Korea, floral anthesis explodes to life, featuring a more free-flowing design adorned with text and symbols that celebrate a culture unburdened by militarization. This juxtaposition highlights the cultural and ideological chasm that persists between the two Koreas.

Across the center of the dress, a series of nuclear symbols starkly illustrates the ever-present tension of the DMZ, a thin strip of land that remains one of the most heavily fortified borders in the world. The use of hand-cut paper adds a layer of fragility to the work, creating a visual tension between light and shadow that mirrors the precarious peace on the Korean Peninsula. This piece is not just a commentary on the past but a reflection on the present and future, urging viewers to consider the human cost of political and military divides.

North v. South Uniform (The DMZ Paper Dress)

Hand cut Monadnock papers, glue, metal and velcro

24 x 60 x 36 inches / 60.1 x 152.4 x 91.4 cm

2005

Uncommon Threads — Unisource International - Atlanta, GA - 10.27.2005

© 1977-2025 Copyright | Thomas Arthur Schaefer | All Rights Reserved

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