Go gently

Go gently (2023). Inkjet print on handmade papers (hanji, abaca, paper mulberry), thread, woven paper thread, silk/hanji fabric, natural dyeing, crayon grave rubbing, paper lithography, suminagashi, joomchi, pulp painting. 7.25 x 5.25 x 0.3” closed, 10.5” wide open. 14 leaves, variable edition of two. Cynthia Sears Collection, Newberry Library.

From the colophon: Go gently was inspired by the egregiously mishandled 1971 tomb excavation of King Muryeong (462–523) and his queen. At the time, it was the only intact royal tomb of that period, and had interred the 25th king of Baekjae (18 BCE–660 CE). It was the first solo Korean archaeological project since the peninsula was divided and indelibly affected by war and colonization. After monsoon rains stopped long enough to unseal the tomb, its contents were removed overnight. The junior researcher did not understand his new camera so his photos were useless. Valuable information about the placement of objects was lost in a mad dash to deter the press, which had accessed the tomb ahead of the National Museum team. Ironically, only the press images remain.

Go gently

Almost always, discovery
arrives after digging

delayed by storms,
by weather

wait for a clear day

and start anew:

careful

Treasures lay in dirt, caked mud,
in layers you can only see
after disturbing the ground

embedded

you won’t know the questions
until you’ve destroyed the evidence

plainly marked in stone

If you arrive first,
the gold is intact

But well beyond your lifetime,
mystery remains.

after all artifacts see the
light of day

What have you actually learned?

The dead were resting.

So go gently.