Theresa Hak Kyung Cha
Encyclopedia
Theresa Hak Kyung Cha was an Korean American
novelist and artist most famous for her 1982 work, Dictee
.
She was born in Busan
, Korea
during the Korean War
. Her family eventually moved to the United States
and settled in California
. She received her B.A. and M.A. in Comparative Literature and an M.F.A.from the University of California, Berkeley
. After leaving university, she moved to Paris
where she studied filmmaking
and critical theory
before returning to the Bay Area
as a filmmaker and performance artist. Cha's interdisciplinary background is clearly evident in Dictee
which experiments with juxtaposition and hypertext
of both print and visual media.
Cha was raped and murdered by Joey Sanza in New York City
a week after the publication of Dictee.
Korean American
Korean Americans are Americans of Korean descent, mostly from South Korea, with a small minority from North Korea...
novelist and artist most famous for her 1982 work, Dictee
Dictee
Dictee is the best known written work of the artist Theresa Hak Kyung Cha. The book focuses on several women, the Korean revolutionary Yu Guan Soon, Joan of Arc, Demeter and Persephone, Cha's mother Hyun Soon Huo, and Cha herself, who are linked by their struggles and the way that nations have...
.
She was born in Busan
Busan
Busan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world...
, Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. Her family eventually moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and settled in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. She received her B.A. and M.A. in Comparative Literature and an M.F.A.from the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. After leaving university, she moved to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
where she studied filmmaking
Filmmaking
Filmmaking is the process of making a film, from an initial story, idea, or commission, through scriptwriting, casting, shooting, directing, editing, and screening the finished product before an audience that may result in a theatrical release or television program...
and critical theory
Critical theory
Critical theory is an examination and critique of society and culture, drawing from knowledge across the social sciences and humanities. The term has two different meanings with different origins and histories: one originating in sociology and the other in literary criticism...
before returning to the Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
as a filmmaker and performance artist. Cha's interdisciplinary background is clearly evident in Dictee
Dictee
Dictee is the best known written work of the artist Theresa Hak Kyung Cha. The book focuses on several women, the Korean revolutionary Yu Guan Soon, Joan of Arc, Demeter and Persephone, Cha's mother Hyun Soon Huo, and Cha herself, who are linked by their struggles and the way that nations have...
which experiments with juxtaposition and hypertext
Hypertext
Hypertext is text displayed on a computer or other electronic device with references to other text that the reader can immediately access, usually by a mouse click or keypress sequence. Apart from running text, hypertext may contain tables, images and other presentational devices. Hypertext is the...
of both print and visual media.
Cha was raped and murdered by Joey Sanza in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
a week after the publication of Dictee.
Published works
- DicteeDicteeDictee is the best known written work of the artist Theresa Hak Kyung Cha. The book focuses on several women, the Korean revolutionary Yu Guan Soon, Joan of Arc, Demeter and Persephone, Cha's mother Hyun Soon Huo, and Cha herself, who are linked by their struggles and the way that nations have...
- 1982 - The Dream of the Audience - 2001
- Exilée and Temps Morts: Selected Works - 2009
- Exilée and Temps Morts: Selected works - 2009
Film/video works
Selected works distributed by Electronic Arts Intermix, Inc., New York http://www.eai.org/artistTitles.htm?id=7651- Secret Spill (1974) 27 min., b&w, sound
- Mouth to Mouth (1975) 8 min., b&w, sound
- Permutations (1976) 10 min., b&w, sound
- Vidéoème (1976) 3 min., b&w, sound
- Re Dis Appearing (1977) 3 min., b&w, sound
Performances
- Barren Cave Mute (1974), at the University of California, Berkeley.
- Aveugle Voix (1975), at 63 Bluxome Street, San Francisco.
- A Ble Wail (1975), at Worth Ryder Gallery, University of California, Berkeley.
- Life Mixing (1975), at University Art Museum, Berkeley.
- Vampyr (1976), at Centre des etudes americains du cinema, Paris.
- Reveille dans la Brume (1977), at La Mamelle Arts Center and Fort Mason Arts Center, San Francisco.
- Other Things Seen. Other Things Heard (1978), at Western Front Gallery, Vancouver, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
External links
- "The Dream of the Audience: Theresa Hak Kyung Cha (1951–1982)" Exhibition Review
- Voices From the Gaps biography
- Theresa Hak Kyung Cha: Bronx Museum of the Arts - Reviews: New York
- Theresa Hak Kyung Cha at SF Cinematheque: To See, Empty
- The Theresa Hak Kyung Cha Archive at the Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive, University of California Berkeley
- Guide to the Theresa Hak Kyung Cha Collection 1971-1991
- The Dream of the Audience: Theresa Hak Kyung Cha documentary film project