Singing Girl 

Sun Mu’s “Singing Girl” is likely made with screen printing, a process through which ink is pressed through a stenciled mesh screen to create an image. The flat blocks of color lend themselves well to graphic, poster-like imagery, often associated with commercial reproduction and political propaganda. The work’s visual impact comes from the stark contrast between the pink background, the red figures, and the touches of white that define the singing girl. Her image is multiplied by surrounding dancers and the Korean script, perhaps lyrics, which create a sense of repetition and uniformity. Screen printing allows for easy mass production, and that can be tied to wider social issues of labor and consumption. The artist deliberately uses this technique to mimic the aesthetics of North Korean propaganda posters. By understanding the materials, the making, and the cultural context, we can start to break down the traditional distinctions between craft and fine art and gain a fuller appreciation of the work's message.