What the heck are they teaching in Korea???

[shannonlovesflowers]

Go I got a e-mail from AIFD today about how many passed AES this year...

Somthing like 20 people from Korea passed. Out of 73 total!
That's a lot!
WOW!!

What is floral design like in Korea??? Anybody know?? Any good books about floral design from Korea I should know about???

 

[BJBouquets]

Formulas!

Shannon,
Great question, and easy answer: Formulas.

If you walk around the AES site when the tables are there for review, you'll notice the same design repeated. The arrangements are completely different and exactly the same. The focal points, for instance, will be different flowers, but the position and volume of focal point will be the same. The heights are all the same, even if made from different materials. Coincidentally, the tables all have Korean names on them.

I have been told that the floral schools in Korea teach through memorizing patterns that then then repeat in different materials. This is very common in Asian culture. Innovation is respected less than conformity.

So they teach differently than we do. If the student gets a certain shape of container, then they already know just where the focal point will be, where the balance axis will be, how tall and wide for correct proportion, etc. In addition, they drill and drill on mechanics. They are not as adverse to practicing the same thing over and over until they achieve perfection, so many of the Asian tables rarely have sloppy mechanics.

There is definitely something to be said for this style of teaching, because the students will always be able to put out a gorgeous (though not unique) design for the client. The drawback, and our American (and European) advantage, is innovation. Rarely do we see new ideas or concepts from Asia.

If an American designer wanted to get into AIFD this way, it's a surefire solution. However, I rarely see American designers at AES produce this way. More likely, they suddenly panic under pressure, thinking that they aren't creative enough, so they try something for the very first time that they've never actually experimented with, and either soar or crash.

Different cultures create different results.

 

[Brad]

I work with two designers from Korea one was a teacher you should see her books unbelievable stuff.

 

[shannonlovesflowers]

what kind of books???

 

[TOTO]

It is a CULTURAL DIFFERENCE!

My Korean Friend Kim, told us all about the Korean's and how important EDUCATION is to the parents, children, and their entire culture.

Their normal School Day starts at 7:00 AM and goes until 5:00 PM. After that, the kids get tutoring for another two hours and it's home for dinner.

Saturday is spent getting tutored too!

By the end of Middle School, only the very best of students get accepted into the very best High Schools, and so, it becomes a MAJOR EVENT, otherwise, they'll embarrass their parents. The same challenges apply to college admission, and if your grades aren't great, college is simply not in your future, AT ALL!

What I found funny was in the fact that, in Korea, and at Christmas Time, all the kids and parents come loaded with GIFTS to include CASH, and it's all for their Teachers. It's an acceptable custom there.

Talk about MOTIVATING the FACULTY!

So, it's no surprise that, so many of these Designer's qualified. They have had years of intense training in education, and failing grades is NOT AN OPTION!

And now, if I could only get someone to do some serious repetition on making some FRESH JOB CHAI (similar to Chinese Lo Mein, but ten times better) I'd give em a certification in anything they wanted, and in a NYC minute.
lol

 

[Brad]

what kind of books???[/quote Their are two schools each one comes out with a book each year highlighting all the designers and teachers and designs they have done one school is very geared towards churches the other is very creative as well but more so and in my opinion the styles vary and are definatley unique or maybe it is the students trying to go outside the box but very impressive.This is what I understand of it anyway but I do have to say Seok is one of the most talented designers I have ever seen so I am not surprised with the aes

 

[shannonlovesflowers]

So how do I get my grubby paws on these books???

 

[njgraham]

I work with Seok and she let me borrow her book. I took some photos of the pages. Here is the website and phone number listed in the book. It is put out by the Korean Floral Art Association. I'll add a few photos.
www.koreafaa.org
Phone: 02-537-0497

 

[shannonlovesflowers]

Thank you for sharing...

I think I must have been Asian in a past life. I love Asian design..

 

[Tuberose]

Asian has always been so different and mostly very clean, contemporary design from what is the norm for Americans, those of us looking for something different get sucked right in. I was roaming around online one time and found pics from I think a Korean group that were holding a clas, or demo or something. Don't think I saved the link but thot I had gotten there from Fusion Magazine site.

Trish

 

[fleuray]

One of my teachers (in a past life) was a second generation Japanese florist (or at least second generation in the US) and many of her elements of design still really influence me today.

Ikebana really creates a type of clarity and control with design that is often missing in european design. Whenever I feel the urge to over do something I feel that tug to reexamine my construction through those principles. On that same level, whenever I know I am rushing through and Not paying attention, I can push myself to really making the design of it show through.

Maybe that is why I think floral design is an art form above anything else...

 

[CHR]

Having worked with a number of Korean designers, my experience is they are highly disciplined, meticulous and make sure they 'nail' technical execution to the nth degree.

Phil has taught private Master classes for groups from Korea, some in preparation for AES. When shown a new wiring technique, the students practice it 50 times or more before moving on to the next project.

That kind of technical discipline can free a designer to concentrate on the art/aesthetic instead of focusing on the 'how' to get it together, especially when time is limited.

I also agree with BJ in that some of the Korean schools hammer patterns, but honestly, all design is a pattern in one form or another.

 

[Tuberose]

Ikebana really creates a type of clarity and control with design that is often missing in european design. Whenever I feel the urge to over do something I feel that tug to reexamine my construction through those principles. On that same level, whenever I know I am rushing through and Not paying attention, I can push myself to really making the design of it show through.

Yes, control, that is the word that describes it perfectly. I get in a hurry and don't control things enough and it does look sloppy, especially the filler foliage around the base, I "warp" back to the old days of throwing stuff at it to get it done, instead of using that area as another design element of the arrangement and using it as you said to further the design.

I need these reminders, I get into the fill it up, push it out mode because I have too many other tasks to take care of in a day. I do like European design but I like many other design styles as well.

Has anyone considered the cycle of the main styles of arrangements over the past, say, 20 years? I remember learning on the repetition of cram and jam on the FTD houses for MDay my first year, 70 of the little buggers, then it slowly moved to tall showy European style vase arr and now you see alot of the low, clustered squares on the wire service sites, I think that style originated in Europe. Always wanting the thing stuffed no matter what it is, a design is not neccessary so that everyone can do it.

When I find a new style I like and want to try, I will try to do a repetion of it over the next few weeks so that it is in my recipe box in my head and I know it well enough to vary the components and possibly take it a step further in one direction or another. My uncle who was an architect taught me the repetition principle when I was 14, I've never forgotten it. I may not repeat it 50 times, but I try at least 10 times.

Trish

 

[avflorist]

Shannon,
Great question, and easy answer: Formulas.

I have been told that the floral schools in Korea teach through memorizing patterns that then then repeat in different materials. This is very common in Asian culture. Innovation is respected less than conformity.

So they teach differently than we do. If the student gets a certain shape of container, then they already know just where the focal point will be, where the balance axis will be, how tall and wide for correct proportion, etc. In addition, they drill and drill on mechanics. They are not as adverse to practicing the same thing over and over until they achieve perfection, so many of the Asian tables rarely have sloppy mechanics.

There is definitely something to be said for this style of teaching, because the students will always be able to put out a gorgeous (though not unique) design for the client. The drawback, and our American (and European) advantage, is innovation. Rarely do we see new ideas or concepts from Asia.

If an American designer wanted to get into AIFD this way, it's a surefire solution. However, I rarely see American designers at AES produce this way. More likely, they suddenly panic under pressure, thinking that they aren't creative enough, so they try something for the very first time that they've never actually experimented with, and either soar or crash.

Different cultures create different results.

Education in Asia is very important and students have great respect for their teachers. It is important to listen to the teacher, read books, practice, practice, so school is from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. So, you see most of the nurses and doctors in our hospitals are Asians, most of our software engineers are Indians(people from India) and passing rate in AIFD in Korea is 100%. And judging from the Korean arrangements, Asians also are creative and innovative.