Nam June Paik

Nam June Paik pioneered the use of video with the topic of the internet. The artist Nam June Paik was born in Seoul, Korea on 20 July 1932. Nam June Paik work has always commented on the curiosity of the future of technology and the internet.

Nam June Paik’s work varies from genre, sculptures, performances, music and live broadcasting. His art reflects a fascination with philosophies and traditions of both Eastern and Western cultures.

TV Garden:

TV Garden 1974 – 77, Paik imagined a future landscape where technology is an integral part of the natural world. Placing TV sets alongside live plants, he creates an environment in which the seemingly distinct realms of electronics and nature coexist.

His approach follows the Buddhist belief that all things are interdependent and closely connected. It also suggests that technology is not conflict with nature but an extension of the human realm

The TV sets display Paik’s Global Groove 1973. This colourful, fast paced video mixes high and popular cultures, with imagery from traditional and contemporary, Western and non-Western sources. It captures the disparate and sometimes overwhelming content of contemporary mass media.

What aspects of his work would I incorporate in my work?

Nam June Paik’s ideology is the main influence to my topic and concepts. I would like to take how he blends the two states of nature and technology and combines them, to make an interesting thing. Sometimes his work is literal but I like how subtle the visuals are.

Automatic Writing

Automatic Writing is claimed physic ability allowing a person to produce written words purportedly arise from the subconscious. To ease us into the process of automatic writing, we were task with just little min writing. At first Becky & Jason, got us to do it with our left hand and then we moved location and had to do it there. Instead of a min we did it as five minutes.

My Space

After the tasks, we had to chose a space to write about. The space I chose was influenced by an artist called Nam June Paik. Who loves to feature technology in his work especially Tv’s. So I decided to make my space about a Tv. The idea is that I’m going to close my eyes in front of the Tv whilst I write.

Physical Response

The idea for this was that i wanted to translate my automatic writing into a some kind of script. Inspired by the work of Senthuran Varatharajah. Who has a section in Flaneur Magazine that explores his time at an airport but has a similar script like layout. Also wanted to explore Typography in my work.

My Video Response

For the video response, my initial idea was to make a video kind of repeating what I’ve said in my automatic writing. Just by combining different clips together. The earlier clips in the video are following that format. But then I had another idea to make the video a reflection on media today and how is hyper everything. From sex, alcohol and violence.

Workshop: Surface Pattern

For the workshop, I had to create a repeat pattern that link into the work that I was doing. Therefore, I’ve decided to make my pattern a homage if I say so. To Nam June Paik piece that I saw in the Tate called “TV Garden”.

MAIN INFLUNCES

The three main influences for this part of Psychogeography, were Flaneur Magazine, Senthuran Varatharajah & Nam June Paik.