Nam June Paik

I first saw this artist in 2009 when I viewed his piece TV Cello , in the The 6th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT6). I later went on to do my year 12 assignment on Paik and his work. He in many ways may have been the father of video art for the fluxus movement and for the whole art community, but Paik was the father for my love of video art. From viewing his pieces in the perspective of someone who has accessed to far superior technology that a Sony playback recorder Paik work is still as relevant as it was in the 60’s. His juxtaposition of religion and naked women, music and tv, and performers, he is still a solid inspiration in my practice. Although my work to me feels as though it is not worthy to be considered video art among those of Paik it is his defined style that gives me hope for the development in my practice and eventually my own recognisable style like Paik. Today I had a laugh when I found that in every book that has “video” and “art” in the same title always have Paik in the book somewhere, and Bruce Numen, but hey he’s already been blogged.

Here are some of my favorite pieces by him:

Nam June Paik: Reclining Buddha, 1994

2 color televisions, 2 Pioneer laser disk players, 2 original Paik laser disks, found object Buddha, 20 x 24 x 14 inches

Electronic Superhighway

TV Cello and TV cello performance 

TV bra for living sculpture. 

:)

References:

Popper, F (1993) Art of the Electronic Age. Page 60. Thames and Hudson Ltd.: London

Likeyou-the artnetwork (n.b) Nam June Paik accessed 12/5/2011 http://www.likeyou.com/en/node/11119

Killahbezz (2011) The Electronic Superhighway accessed 12/5/2011 http://www.killahbeez.com/2009/01/06/the-electronic-superhighway/

Roland Baladi

I saw an image of Baladi’s work in a book today and had to check it out. The film is called Telepathy (watch my face to read my thoughts) and consists of Baladi staring at the screen. This is accompanied by text that runs across the screen. 

-View video here-

http://vimeo.com/9978462

I found it interesting that there was no sound track but, text was used to engage the viewer in a humorous way. I thought that this was a very intelligent way to broche the subject of communication. I really liked it.

References:

Popper, F (1993) Art of the Electronic Age. Page 59. Thames and Hudson Ltd.: London 

Roland Baladi (n.b) Roland Balandi accessed 12/5/2011 http://rolandbaladi.org/index.html

Vito Acconci

I looked up a video for Acconci, and was pleasantly surprised. I found it very uncomfortable to watch but also thought that it was constructed conceptually well. I loved that he relied on speech rather than interesting images and fast editing.

This makes me think that I can maybe construct a soundtrack that is purely speech and play it in a room with no visual and from all corners. I think this would be very effective.

References:

Popper, F (1993) Art of the Electronic Age. Page, 54. Thames and Hudson Ltd. : London

Youtube (2011) Vito Acconci- Undertone 1972 (extract) Accessed 12/5/2011 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZaD9CHZecE

Margaret Benyon

Whilst going through a book I found, I came across works by Benyon. These were Richard Hamilton (1991) and a picture of her cosmetic series and others (1987-88) . 

I found that I was instantly drawn to these images by their intense colour and haunting imagery. I love the way she constructs colour in her images, bringing out emotions that would otherwise be unnoticed.

I would like to be able to get this type of colour in my films, to add a weird texture the footage.  I wonder if I can use fluro paint? Now that is something to consider.  

References:

Popper, F (1993) Art of the Electronic Age. Page 39. Thames and Hudson Ltd.: London

Jonathan Ross (n.b) Margaret Benyon.  Accessed 12/5/2011 http://www.jrholocollection.com/catalog/benyon.html

Jonathan Ross (n.b) Margaret Benyon. Accessed 12/5/2011 http://www.holonet.khm.de/jross/collection/benyon.html

My 'Weird' Video

I was given the challenge to create the 'weirdest' video i could. and here it is. it encompasses all my previous posts with the use of my own lyrics and myself. i chose to film myself as what could be stranger than the external of yourself being viewed from the outside? i see myself everyday, but from the perspective of looking out, never truly looking upon from perspectives different to my own. so for me it was the weirdest and strangely most personal film i have down, how unnerving.

Candice Breitz

i relation to my previous post, i realised i had seen a work that could relate to the concept of it only being memories of you that are left to represent yourself after death.
when i went to GOMA to view the 21st Century Exhibition i found a work by Candice Breitz called 'King'(a portrait of Micheal Jackson)

Candice Breitz | King (a portrait of Michael Jackson) 2005 | 16-channel video installation: colour, sound, 42:20 minutes, colour, sound ed. 3/6 | 1200 x 500cm (installed, variable) | Purchased 2008 with funds from Tim Fairfax, AM, through the Queensland Art Gallery Foundation | Collection: Queensland Art Gallery

it was the one work i truly enjoyed at the exhibition and i liked the concept  of it. this really encapsulates the idea that it is not you as a person that is remembered after death, but the perceptions of others. and even if they are your biggest fan, they can never truly represent what you were.


refrences:

Gallery Of modern art, 2011, Candice Breitz King (a portrait of Michael Jackson) 2005. Accessed 11/5/2011 http://21cblog.com/candice-breitz-king-a-portrait-of-michael-jackson-2005/

and a trip to the Gallery of modern art.

What is original?

A while ago i responded to this quote:

WE ARE ALL BORN ORIGINALS. WHY IS IT SO MANY OF US DIE COPIES?

Edward Young

This was my answer:

This is a statement that can be interpreted into many meanings by different points of view. To me this means through life many of us lose our identity to trends, other people and to the fact of life it self.

We copy others to make us fit in and in doing so lose our originality, but the ones that die copies are the ones who lose their originality not to other people but to themselves. If you lose yourself to others you may not be able to find yourself again and to do so you must not find your old self be in turn create an original. But can any one be original? No, to be original you have to be the first one to live your life like no one else you have to have new ideas and a new life path. In birth no one is original we are all born the same way by our mother and others before you have learned to walk, talk and become ‘human’. An example of this statement is religion; you are born atheist not believing anything than you are brought up like many others and in the end are all copies of that one belief and most likely will die as a copy of that lifestyle. Humans are all copies of each other we learn to be like others, we may be very diverse but we are not original.

In conclusion I think we are born copies and only some of us die original.         

although this was awhile ago i find what i wrote no less relevant to how i feel towards this now, however, i do see what Young was trying to say in this quote and no less is the same conclusion i drew in the end anyway. on the other hand, be it now that im older or just more cynical, i think that it really doesn't matter what you are in life, as the act of both life and death are the same for everyone-messy. you come in covered in shit and you leave the same. they are not pretty things by any definition, but are an inevitability. and that all that is left by you is either your career, a bloodline or your moral teachings to younger people, it is not you that will be remembered, it is just your name, memories and interpretations of others.

hummm...let's hope one day i can turn this into an artwork aye?