art critique
52583026 TAO CHEUK WUN
Electronic art is similar with computer art and digital art1, it also refers to artworks containing electronic elements and combining them into different media such as music, dance and performance. Therefore, electronic art is an interdisciplinary field, and considered as a new media art, when artists making their artwork, they usually work with scientists and engineers.
Nam June Paik, “Electronic Superhighway: Continental U.S.”, 1995, 51 channel video installation2
The artwork Electronic Superhighway: Continental U.S. was made in 1995 by Nam June Paik, a Korean artist. He was given the name “ Father of Video Art”, was famous in working with electronic art related to media and video art. In this installation, he placed 336 televisions and overlaid them with neon lights to outline the map of the United States. He used different colors of neon to demonstrate different district of U.S., and 50 DVD players sending video images to each state’s televisions, within a district, specific video images are shown on the screens. The idea was great, the multicolored neon represents the neon signs of motels and restaurants in U.S., what make the U.S. unique. The multiple colors also reveal that individual districts own their identities and cultures. Nam June Paik not only intended to combine art and science, Nam June Paik made art and science our life, we cannot escape from technologies and moving images are influencing us. In 90s, internet was not fully developed, television was every family’s entertainment and information center. Audiences can see the whole U.S. when they watch his work, and this is what Nam June Paik wanted to develop in electronic art media, he once said that everyone would have their own television channel. It becomes true now, we can create our own channels in Youtube, and there are billions of videos that everyone can watch. It was really a “superhighway” that we can watch the videos instantly.
Many of his artwork
Electronic art is similar with computer art and digital art1, it also refers to artworks containing electronic elements and combining them into different media such as music, dance and performance. Therefore, electronic art is an interdisciplinary field, and considered as a new media art, when artists making their artwork, they usually work with scientists and engineers.
Nam June Paik, “Electronic Superhighway: Continental U.S.”, 1995, 51 channel video installation2
The artwork Electronic Superhighway: Continental U.S. was made in 1995 by Nam June Paik, a Korean artist. He was given the name “ Father of Video Art”, was famous in working with electronic art related to media and video art. In this installation, he placed 336 televisions and overlaid them with neon lights to outline the map of the United States. He used different colors of neon to demonstrate different district of U.S., and 50 DVD players sending video images to each state’s televisions, within a district, specific video images are shown on the screens. The idea was great, the multicolored neon represents the neon signs of motels and restaurants in U.S., what make the U.S. unique. The multiple colors also reveal that individual districts own their identities and cultures. Nam June Paik not only intended to combine art and science, Nam June Paik made art and science our life, we cannot escape from technologies and moving images are influencing us. In 90s, internet was not fully developed, television was every family’s entertainment and information center. Audiences can see the whole U.S. when they watch his work, and this is what Nam June Paik wanted to develop in electronic art media, he once said that everyone would have their own television channel. It becomes true now, we can create our own channels in Youtube, and there are billions of videos that everyone can watch. It was really a “superhighway” that we can watch the videos instantly.
Many of his artwork