실천과 예술사이: 릭 베스의 『야크계곡의 서(書)』와 『야크계곡의 누렁이』를 중심으로

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to explore the dilemma between the aesthetics and the political which nature writers has been encountering. Nature writers who write the fiction, the poems and other genres of writings as the artistic works which are created out of their artistic desire sometimes find themselves in a position of the activist, who fight for the defense of the endangered species, place and the rights of nature. In the course of devotion to activism, the artistic freedom and satisfaction nature writers enjoy in the creations of their works seems to be undermined. The tension between the artistic desire to create art and the devotion to activism, for the part of the writers, is best exemplified in Rick Bass’ writings, mainly in The Book of Yaak and Brown Dog of the Yaak: Essay on Art and Activism. To investigate the way in which this tension and dilemma work in Bass’, characteristics of the nature writing as the genre, the complex and cross-binding nature of art and activism in nature writing and Bass’ attempt to reconciliation between them are examined. In dilemma between the bottomlessness of activism and futility of art in the face of destruction of Yaak valley, Bass, inevitably, accepts the attempt to separate the art and activism in vain and tries to reconcile them on the grounds that both of them reflect the sincerity of the heart and passion and art cannot be separated from the society. Therefore Bass as a nature writer is forced to keep the balance between art and activism, which cannot easily maintains. The marriage between them Bass arranges will be the challenge to those who aspire to be, or are compelled to be a nature writer.