Nam June Paik
Fisch mit Robotern
1990
- Artist / Artist group
- Nam June Paik
- Title
- Fisch mit Robotern
- Year
- 1990
- Category
- Drawing
- Collection
- ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe
- Description
- Nam June Paik (1932 Seoul, South Korea – 2006 Florida, USA) is considered one of the most important pioneers of video art. He began experimenting with new media as early as the 1960s and developed a novel and still influential artistic language with works such as “TV Cello” (1971) and “TV Buddha” (1974). His creations had a decisive influence on the intertwining of art, music, technology, and performance. In a playful and often humorous way, Paik questioned the relationship between humans and television, religion and technology, everyday life and the screen. He never viewed technology in an isolated manner, but rather as an integral part of a cultural, biological, and spiritual system. His works raise questions that invite viewers to engage in an inner dialogue and allow for their own interpretations. Paik's oeuvre is diverse: it ranges from early tape collages and TV installations to conceptual graphics, robot sculptures, and satellite-based media projects. He repeatedly returned to certain motifs, which he implemented in a variety of ways in his works and placed in new contexts. The drawing “Fish with Robots,” created in 1990, builds a visual bridge between nature and technology. In the background, three robots sketched in black ballpoint pen can be seen—a motif that Paik explores in a wide variety of media. The robots represent modern technologies and ideas of progress, which Paik repeatedly addressed in an open as well as critical manner. Over the robots, Paik draws the simple design of a large fish in a second layer of color using thick, red crayon. The sweeping lines of the fish overlap with the jagged shapes of the robots. In the drawing, nature and technology merge. Nothing remains strictly separate. In this and many other of his works, Paik illustrates his fundamental idea that these topics should not be understood as opposites but are in a constant state of exchange. Paik's simple drawing encourages us to examine traditional ideas of naturalness and modern technology. It allows the otherwise clear boundaries between the two areas to flow into one another and reveals their fundamental interconnection.
Author
Lara
Mainzer