Nam June Paik
Nam June Paik (1932-2006) was a Korean born American artist, who was considered to be the ‘Creator of Video Art’. Paik was born in Seoul and moved to New York in 1964. Paik’s first exhibition, entitled ‘Exposition of Music – Electronic Television’, was held in 1963 in Wuppertal, Germany. The solo exhibition consisted of scattered televisions everywhere and Paik used magnets to alter and distort their images. He used the television as a sculptural unit, creating video walls and free standing video objects. The artwork and ideas of Nam June Paik were a major influence on late 20th century art and continue to inspire a new generation of artists.
What is the title of the video you have chosen to analyse?
Nam June Paik, 1995, Electronic Superhighway: Continental U.S, Alaska, Hawaii, fifty-one channel video installation
How was the video authored?
From observation, it’s evident that the sculpture is made to look like the United States, which was Paik’s adopted homeland. When you take a closer look, each state has some sort of video footage, snippet or slideshow that depicts what each state is ‘known’ for. Electronic Superhighway creates an overwhelming impact on visitors when they first see it. The wave of audio and visual media along with flashing neon lights make the artwork inspiring. The sculpture serves as a representation that ‘Electronic Superhighway’ is the ways in which the media has defined one understanding of the diverse nation.
Electronic Superhighway consisted of 336 televisions, which were assembled in such a way that mimicked the United States of America. Moreover, Paik also used 3,750 feet of cable, 575 feet of multicoloured neon tubing and 50 DVD players (House Husband Aesthetics, 2018). Paik would have had to physically assemble each television and wire simultaneously, requiring hours of labour.
Picture taken by Lim Young-kyun in 1983 while Nam June Paik was in New York City
How was the video published?
The world of electronic communication was evolving, and Paik explored this through his work. As previously mentioned, Paik’s extensive knowledge of the inner-workings of television was evident. However, it is clear from research that DVD format was invented in 1995; the same year this sculpture was created. Therefore, Paik would have familiarised himself with this new technological process, whilst applying prior television knowledge to produce this piece of artwork.
How was the video distributed?
Electronic Superhighway was distributed to the public space when it was unveiled at the Smithsonian’s Museum of American Art in Washington D.C in 2002, under the ‘Nam June Paik, Global Visionary’ exhibition. The exhibit incorporates more than 140 objects from Paik’s archives, as well as some borrowed from other institutions. It was estimated that over 2.4 million people saw the museum’s exhibits annually (Museum Hack, 2018).
References:
House Husband Aesthetics, 2018, ‘Electronic Superhighway: Continental U.S, Alaska, Hawaii by Nam June Paik, webpage, viewed 7th February 2020 <https://www.househusbandaesthetics.com/art/2018/1/6/electronic-superhighway-continental-us-alaska-hawaii-by-nam-june-paik>
Image: Wiki Art, 1983, ‘Picture taken by Lim Young-kyun in 1983 while Nam June Paik was in New York City’, webpage, viewed 16th February 2020, <https://www.wikiart.org/en/nam-june-paik>
Museum Hack, 2018, ‘Expert Guide to the Smithsonian American Art Museum, webpage, viewed 7th February 2020, <https://museumhack.com/museums/smithsonian-american-art-museum/>