The work of Nam June Paik

In the reading, the author wrote about the history about video art and its pioneer-Nam June Paik. Video art as a combination of all other kinds of art forms; it has been a topic for artists and critics. Although the pieces of work could not always be recognized as a kind of art, artists never stop pursuing it. Meanwhile, they may be questioned, such as Paik. It reminded me of Marcel Duchamp. Duchamp used to learn drawing from an unsuccessful teacher who attempts to protect Impressionism. Later, he added signature to all his works and developed his own style of art. Paik experienced the same thing in his life. There was a quote from it said that he sometimes could be criticized as “sanctification”. “The American video artist and writer Martha Rosler suggests that his Fluxus strategy of the importation of the television set into the art world anesthetized its domestic function simply producing as ‘anti-art art’. ” For his opinion, I did not really agree. Even Paik did not follow the traditional rule of art. His work still presents some kind of emotions. They also passed some kind of message to the audience. There was an example I found on Toutube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aftng-G73Vc The performer was giving a show on the street. At the same time, the reactions of the audience were also captured into the camera. Whether they like it or not, it existed for a reason. “What is rational is actual and what is actual is rational.” As Hegel’s famous quote.