Family of Robots

Family of Robots: Grandmother (left) and Family of Robots: Grandfather (right), 1986. This is a Single-channel video sculpture with vintage television and radio casing and monitors: color, silent; Grandmother: 80 3/4 x 50 x 19 inches Grandfather: 101 x 73 x 20 1/2 inches. This from the Robert J. Shiffler Foundation, Greenville, Ohio. photograph taken by Cal Kowal. ( The Worlds of Nam June Paik) Both robot figures vary with different features, such as, with the grandfather he has arms made of monitors but the grandmother has arms made of the antenna from two identical television set on each side. As well the head on each are different as well.


The series of robot artwork with television sets shows me how television is the robot in this day and age, a robot representing this powerful, future-type figure. With this I quote Nam June Paik, "The Future is Now." (brainyquotes.com) This quote, perfect for this sculpture from Nam June Paik. He really found his calling and his signature style with this series of Family of Robots. This type of work relates to pieces that Mario Shinoda. This art of Nam June Paik was part of the Fluxus movement inspired by John Cage.


The mixture of old and new has always been at play in Paik’s work. (http://www.rhizome.org/editorial/2586) Though all Nam June Paik's work is more futuristic and overall very influencial for artist to come and have already came.







John G Hanhardt, The Worlds of Nam June Paik
New York, New York Guggenheim Museum Publications 2000


http://www.rhizome.org/editorial/2586


www.Brianyquotes.com

TV Buddha

TV Buddha created by Nam June Paik in 1974, A closed-circuit video installation with bronze sculpture, monitor, and video camera; black and white, silent demensions vary with installation. Now at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. (The Worlds of Nam June Paik) Quoting name June Paik "Our life is half natural and half technological. Half-and-half is good. You cannot deny that high-tech is progress. We need it for jobs. Yet if you make only high-tech, you make war. So we must have a strong human element to keep modesty and natural life.


In this work of Nam June Paik having a sculpture representing Buddha watching himself on the monitor live. I take this as an image as being self indulged in our selves and the television, yet on a bright insight wanting to be the star of your own show. This piece looks a bit minimalist to be but I believe that it is part of the neo-dada. This having three components yet makes a technology state in bold.For Paik, television provided an enlightening experience where one transcended the self––not in a mystical or religious way, but though the material technical system that was grounded in the real world. World as concept, mind as space. (http://www.rhizome.org/editorial/2586)

Paik's possibly most famous video work was produced as a gap-filler for an empty spot in his fourth show in the Galeria Bonino, New York. Shortly before the opening, he hit upon the idea of making a TV viewer out of an antique Buddha statue once purchased as an investment. The subsequent addition of a video camera meant the Buddha now watched his videotaped image on the screen opposite – past and present gaze upon each other in an encounter between Oriental deity and Western media. During the 'Projekt '74' exhibition in Cologne, Paik took the Buddha’s place in his recent creation, suggesting the implicit antithesis between transcendentalism and technology was equally present in his own personality.(http://www.medienkunstnetz.de/works/tv-buddha/images/2/)



John G Hanhardt, The Worlds of Nam June Paik
New York, New York Guggenheim Museum Publications 2000


http://www.medienkunstnetz.de/works/tv-buddha/images/2/


http://www.paikstudios.com/gallery/1.html


http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/n/nam_june_paik.html

Electronic Superhighway: continental U.S. 1995

Nam June Paik did a significant amount of work with television sets as in this piece Electronic Superhighway which is approximately 15 x 32 x 4 feet. It is forty-seven-channel and closed-circuit video installation with 313 monitors, neon, and steel structure ; color and sound. (The Worlds of Nam June Paik) Nam was born in Korea and came to the U.S. in 1964. The neon lights outline a figure of The United States and every state inside the outline is the 313 monitors held by wood shelves and tables, not to forget Alaska and Hawaii are incorporated as well although they are not connected. This display is in the Collection of artist and Holly Solomon Gallery in New York.

In this work representing the United States as a whole with television sets shows me, even in existence today, that media is the United States and people have let television run this country. I love his way of using television in a unique way, taking it to a level in which no one has done before. His work has repetition, and political view. Reminds me of pieces by Peter Kubelka and Andy Warhol. Nam June Paik was influenced by John Cage as well as so many artists were. Nam June Paik said "Skin has become inadequate in interfacing with reality. Technology has become the body's new membrane of existence." (brainyquotes.com) Which by this quote makes me think even more that his Elctronic superhighway is representing The united States being run by technology.

Nam June Paik's role in Contemporary art history and in the establishment of a new aesthetic discourse is unique. (The Worlds of Nam June Paik) Nam June Paik influenced by media and the idea of how media affects people everyday. Paik was the first to use the phrase "electronic superhighway," (http://americanart.si.edu/collections/search/artwork/?id=71478) He incorporates televisions with much of his work in a very contemporary way, many works in the outline of robots with televisions. Nam June Paik did not always focus on televisions and his earlier work had pieces with string instruments and readymade sculptures.





John G Hanhardt, The Worlds of Nam June Paik
New York, New York Guggenheim Museum Publications 2000

http://americanart.si.edu/collections/search/artwork/?id=71478

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/n/nam_june_paik.html