부생모육 父生母育, 티셔츠에 레터링 프린트, 가변설치, 2014

Bu-saeng-Mo-yuk*, Lettering Prints on T-Shirts, Variable Installation, 2014

  어르신들 사이에서 ‘부생모육’이라는 시가 유행이라는 말을 들었다. 지금 어르신들의 마음을 잘 대변한다는 이유였다. 수는 많지만 목소리는 미약하고 희미한 어르신들의 특성에 따라 시의 구절을 나누어 티셔츠에 프린트한 뒤 전체가 모여 완성되도록 하였다. 시는 친할머니께서 자필로 써 주셨다.

  I heard that a poem called "Bu-Saeng-Mo-Yuk" was trending among the elderly. It was because it resonated well with their hearts. Taking into account the frail and faint voices of the elderly, I divided the verses of the poem and printed them on T-shirts, so when they come together, it forms the complete poem. The poem was handwritten by my grandmother.

* Bu-Saeng-Mo-Yuk is four character idiom, which mean Father, you gave me life, Mother, you’ve raised me. This poem followed traditional three-verse style in Korea.

Bu-Saeng-Mo-Yuk

Father, you gave me life

Mother, you’ve raised me

Your grace is beyond description,

But there are only young boys and girls

Who never be devoted to you.

New bride has a hatred for her parents-in-law

New groom has a hectic life for his new family.

They are smiling at their children’s trick

But scowling at their parents’ discipline.

They have an admiration of their noisy children,

But have an abhorrence of their phlegmatic parents.

There is a bag of snacks for their children

But no bag of meets for their parents.

They are sympathetic to their sick pets enough to sprint for a hospital

But apathetic to their sick parents enough to sit still.

Parents are full of love for their ten children,

But ten children are full of vexation for their parents.

There is lavish money on their children,

But always lack of money for their parents.

It is very easy to grab their children’s hand at a restaurant for dinner,

But it is very hard to guide their parents to a route for walking.

Devoting to their parents while they are alive and avoiding regrets,

Will bring you bless from sky and devotion from children.