The piece art you will never forget
Nothing in life happens without a reason. Though the event can seem trivial at first sight it should never be passed over. Every moment in history is created for some important purpose which we only have to comprehend in a right way. If you know the past of your country you will be able to change the future by making it cloudless and happiest to live in. People who propound brilliant ideas or theories, open new concepts improve somehow the history of mankind.
One of such people who had a global influence on today’s art is certainly Nam June Paik. This Korean artist is now identified with the founder of video art whose legacy includes a lot of videotapes, installations, television productions and video sculptures. He was born in Korea but then moved to New York where lived till the rest of his life. First Paik started as classical pianist and performer in the international Fluxus movement (Kellein, 1995) . He introduced televisions to the art and later used new technologies in the performances as material parts of his repertoire. This Korean artist is associated with the term “electronic superhighway” which describes the incredible growth of new forms of communication. He foresaw the great role of technology as a means of global connections and supposed that some day media would completely change our lives. Even now generations of new artists admire his innovative art and continue to be inspired by his gorgeous ideas.
Let’s now pay more attention to one of Paik’s works which you will never pass by while visiting Smithsonian Art Museum. “Electronic Superhighway” presents a monumental map of the United States made by the help of 336 televisions and decorated with almost 600 feet of neon. You will surely be fascinated by this enormous model of the USA with its eye-catching flashlights. Each television screen shows different channels which are changing very rapidly. Before settling in New York Nam June Paik lived in different countries and experienced a lot of cultures. This map is perhaps artist’s vision of this multicultural country in the way he himself explored. Even in today’s computer age every state still has its own history and its own distinct identity which is emphasized by the different colours of neon light. The artist succeeded in showing this difference between states as an unbiased spectator which makes his interpretation even more original one. Each state channel probably features something special that reminded Paik of the state. The artist perceives America as his adopted homeland. He did not grow up there, and had to adjust to all its traditions and living conditions. This fact made the whole piece of art more impressive and moving.
Some of television screens reflect the artist’s personal associations connected with the places which are often unexpected. Here you can find images of composers, performance artists and choreographers which illustrate artist’s friendly relationships with these people. Other states are known to Paik because of classic movies such as The Wizard of Oz for Kansas, Showboat for Mississippi, and South Pacific for Hawaii. The size of the screens as well as better visibility also varies depending upon the size of the state (Stooss, 1993). Though some of the elements remind me nothing and are not comprehensible at all, they are very important for the artist. The large message is hidden in this original artwork.
The main idea of this work is certainly fast growing of media and their enormous role in peoples’ lives. Although the piece was only created 17 years ago the problem of addiction to technology still remained. In 1995 dependence was on television, today it is on the Internet. People of 21 century are always busy, they stay in permanent movement all the time. Sometimes in this endless pursuit for money or career, they forget about simple things. They constantly work on the computers instead of visiting parents, share news with friends or spend more time with their loved. On the one hand, modern technologies facilitated our life, gave a chance to connect with others all over the world and whenever you want. It is easy to find out what is going on in the planet or pay all the bills not even leaving the house. Life does not stand in one place it is changing every other day. People achieve new summits, explore different concepts and create such information technologies that you could not even think about ten years ago. The artist chose this specific video form in his piece of work to show the electronic superhighway with all that noise it adds to our lives.
Nowadays there is a plenty of evidence that technology is making many of us lazy communicators and that social networking makes relationships with friends very artificial. Many people nowadays began to communicate less and not so frankly and the reason for it is lack of alive communication.
We spend a majority of time in front of computers and do not even notice how quickly hours pass by. Technologies kill our ability to communicate, to experience the human responses step by step. You can use them for our urgent needs but you should always be involved in the lives of your loved ones. Because now matter how developed the modern means of communications and technologies can be, humans communication or simple stay in peoples’ company would never be replaced by them.
Our planet is inhabited with the diverse nations. There are hundreds of countries in the world and as many different cultures. The same situation you can observe in the United States. The artist wanted to pay attention to this fact and that’s why created such a unique artwork. Each state in America has its own identities, cultures and lives even in today’s information age. The video art demonstrates this situation very clearly.
When you look at this piece of work you see the whole appearance but if examine it more carefully it will fall to different small images in your head. United States at first sight is the same country with common language, authority and law. However, if you explore every area of it you will find out a lot of new facts. Each state can be seen as an individual country with its special customs and traditions. The artist deliberately used closed-circuit channels as a way of surveillance for every state.
The purpose was to make people think, to invoke their feelings and to emphasize something culturally relevant of each state. The piece in general represents a snapshot in time. Paik demonstrated his “electronic superhighway” as a connection between the past and future. No matter how time passes it will always be real. It is an enormous physical object that takes an intermediate position between the virtual reality of the media and the developing country.
Even seventeen years ago Paik recognized the potential for media collaboration among people in all parts of the world. He was hundred percent sure that the media would have a big influence on our loves and would change our living conditions. His Electronic Superhighway with all those televisions, DVD players and multicolor neon tubing is a moving manifestation of the ways mass media affects human understanding of a diverse nation and changes our imagination of the world around us.
This special piece of art argues the quick development of mass media in our society. With the invention of the new technologies people are having an endless race with time. No one knows when this race will end and if it actually lasts forever. This video art make you stop for a moment and forget about all the things you have to do. Sometimes it is important to leave that routine behind and find place for the stillness. The artist deliberately did not use sound in this work because calm is sometimes even more helpful than hundreds pieces of advices. Media with all its noise deprived us of ability to listen to our own voice.
We lost the art of being listeners of explores of the world around us. The whole universe is now measured in a few square metres of space where a small machine is taking away precious minutes of our life. Of course we can not throw out all this modern technologies out of our houses and offices. It will not change the situation for better. What we can do is to learn to use them properly and only for extreme need. The artist induces to comprehend the beauty around you and not to replace it with ordinary machines.
Just stop for a minute and try to recall in your head what you know about your country, state, town. Have you any idea what role does your state play in the history of the United States or how was it found. It is really difficult to remember all the data and facts connected with the history that happened long ago. However, you should at least try to discover something interesting about the place you were born and to learn the most important events in its history.
Only the person who is aware of the past of his ancestors, appreciate his history and can analyze all its victories and failures deserve to have clear future and will be able to use his knowledge in need and transfer his experience to further generations.
It is difficult to live in the twenty first century and to walk in step with all these changes and innovations. You should always remember that the time you spend with pleasure and use will never be wasted. Paik in his Electronic Superhighway connected these two things in one object. This original piece of work shows us some cultural moments of every state of the United States but at the same time in very interesting way. The artist invented a good way of attracting people’s interest to the very important issue. Just looking at the piece will be enough to evoke hundreds of thoughts in your head. It looks like a puzzle of people’s life. The task is not to solve it but to experience. Only when you study each piece very carefully and make your own conclusion you will be able to go to the next one.
So, do not miss a chance to experience something new in your life. Remember everything unknown is frightful but look at it as an interesting adventure to go through. If you aim at living every day with the purpose of learning something new you will never be bored. The life is a test that tries your endurance but at the same time it is a lesson that teaches you. Learn to combine studying with rest and you will surely succeed. Besides you will never know where destiny will lead you up and what knowledge you will need here. So, learn everything and know what is more important for you in life.
Works Cited
Kellein, Thomas, and Jon Hendricks. Fluxus. London: Thames and Hudson, 1995. Print.
Paik, Nam June, Toni Stooss, and Thomas Kellein. Nam June Paik: Video Time, Video Space.New York: H.N. Abrams, 1993. Print.
