Who is the practitioner (what is their name?) and when were they practicing?
Nam June Paik (1932-2006) was a Korean American artist who pioneered video art. Paik trained as a classical pianist for most of his life before moving to West Berlin to pursue his interest in avante garde music, composition and performance. During his time in Germany, Paik met John Cage (american composer, artist and music theorist) and became associated with the Neo-dada Fluxus movement. Through Cage, Paik met Marcel DuChamp both of who are said to have had a huge influence on on Paik and stimulated his rise in the avante garde through performance.
What is the title of the photo or video you have chosen to analyse (can you provide a link?)
The title of the video I have chose is ‘Electric Opera #1’ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/videos/category/arts-culture/artist-nam-june-paiks-electronic-opera-1/
With the video you are examining, when was it produced (date)?
Nam June Paik created this video in 1969.
How was the video authored?
The video was authored by Paik in 1969 by manipulating, distorting and saturating the recorded figures of three hippies, a topless dancer and various political figures (such as Richard Nixon). Paik uses a voice overs to inform the audience that the video is “participation TV” and commands the audience to open and close their eyes at various individuals.
How was the video published?
The video was published as an analogue television signal. Analogue video and television is highly reliant on physical objects in our world (Lister et al, 2009, p. 19), such as cables, aerials, television monitors, a constant power supply and so on. This means there are many points at which the signal be be interfered with. The notion of interference became central to Paik’s work as he makes the audience question whether the signal has encountered interference or if it was a stylistic choice of the artist.
I can’t find any specific publication details but the video would probably have been originally published on an analogue television in an art gallery during an exhibition. I also can’t find details about whether or not it is currently on display, however the Nam June Paik Art Centre opened in Seoul, South Korea in 2008 and houses many of his works (Guggenheim, 2018).
How was the video distributed?
Along with many of his other works, Paik’s work is still being distributed and circulated in many art galleries around the world (Guggenheim, 2019). Paik has been involved and incorporated in numerous exhibitions, including two major retrospectives and has been featured in international exhibitions such as the Venice Biennale (Guggenheim, 2019). Since its release in 1969 the video has been distributed through numerous museum sites as well as platforms like YouTube and Vimeo.
References:
Guggenheim 2019, Nam June Paik, viewed 21 April 2018, Guggenheim Collection Online, <https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/artist/nam-june-paik>
Lister, M, Dovey, J, Giddings, S, Grant, I & Kelly, K 2009, New Media: A Critical Introduction, Routledge, New York.