In today's contemporary society, technology is one of the most influential and progressive resources that enables artists and designers to communicate across all mediums. Technology has developed rapidly, notably since the Industrial Revolution as the transition to new manufacturing developments was made, influencing virtually all aspects of daily life (citation). Technology has penetrated humanity’s lives significantly, and whilst some argue that humans are vulnerable to losing their capabilities from a heavy dependence on it, technology enables individuals to observe and explore the unseen, in turn allowing them to challenge their understandings of existence in and awareness of the world. Twentieth and twenty-first century creative practitioners
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20th century Korean American artist, Nam June Paik, is considered the ‘Father of Video Art’ , who viewed video a malleable art form as he altered the electronic image to produce avant-garde connections between art and technology. Paik was influential in defining this new form of expression, particularly notable in his work Electronic Superhighway; which draws on Jean Baudrillard’s 1983 statement “today we no longer participate in the drama of alienation, but the ecstasy of communication” . Subsequently, Paik’s 1994 video sculpture Internet Dream, explores the impact new technologies have on “heralding an age of infotainment saturation” . Challenging the language and practice of art, Paik explores this preoccupation with new technology and the fragility of both humankind and technology. This vulnerability was perfectly demonstrated in Paik’s 1965 Magnet TV, upon which it demonstrated the instability of the video image to outside interference. The same could be said the other way around in relation to the fragility of humankind as Paik stated, “television has been attacking us all our lives, now we can attack it back” . Emphasising this point further, Paik stated, “our life is half natural and half technological. Half-and-half is good. You cannot deny that …show more content…
As argued by Lev Manovich, “new technology acts as the most perfect realisation of the utopia of an ideal society composed of unique individuals… assur[ing] users and their choices are unique rather than pre-programmed and shared with others” . Manovich parallels the rationality of new media art to that of post-industrial culture which values the originality of new media over the conventionalism of mass production. Imbued with renewed connotations, Paik handled video as a malleable art form, transforming the potential of the medium. Paik was significantly influenced by media philosopher Marshal McLuhan, who in his 1964 book, Understanding Media, believed technology was an extension of oneself; extending what humans can do. Defining this new form of expression, Paik altered the structure of the electronic image and its arrangement within the gallery space. Touching on McLuhan’s theory, Paik stated in an email to influential American composer John Cage, “the nature of the environment is much more on TV than on film and painting. In fact, TV (its random movement of electrons) IS the environment of today”. Paik’s works question time and memory, and the core of a viewer’s sensory experiences. Not only challenging the art world by defying Modernism conventions, Paik succeeded
20th century Korean American artist, Nam June Paik, is considered the ‘Father of Video Art’ , who viewed video a malleable art form as he altered the electronic image to produce avant-garde connections between art and technology. Paik was influential in defining this new form of expression, particularly notable in his work Electronic Superhighway; which draws on Jean Baudrillard’s 1983 statement “today we no longer participate in the drama of alienation, but the ecstasy of communication” . Subsequently, Paik’s 1994 video sculpture Internet Dream, explores the impact new technologies have on “heralding an age of infotainment saturation” . Challenging the language and practice of art, Paik explores this preoccupation with new technology and the fragility of both humankind and technology. This vulnerability was perfectly demonstrated in Paik’s 1965 Magnet TV, upon which it demonstrated the instability of the video image to outside interference. The same could be said the other way around in relation to the fragility of humankind as Paik stated, “television has been attacking us all our lives, now we can attack it back” . Emphasising this point further, Paik stated, “our life is half natural and half technological. Half-and-half is good. You cannot deny that …show more content…
As argued by Lev Manovich, “new technology acts as the most perfect realisation of the utopia of an ideal society composed of unique individuals… assur[ing] users and their choices are unique rather than pre-programmed and shared with others” . Manovich parallels the rationality of new media art to that of post-industrial culture which values the originality of new media over the conventionalism of mass production. Imbued with renewed connotations, Paik handled video as a malleable art form, transforming the potential of the medium. Paik was significantly influenced by media philosopher Marshal McLuhan, who in his 1964 book, Understanding Media, believed technology was an extension of oneself; extending what humans can do. Defining this new form of expression, Paik altered the structure of the electronic image and its arrangement within the gallery space. Touching on McLuhan’s theory, Paik stated in an email to influential American composer John Cage, “the nature of the environment is much more on TV than on film and painting. In fact, TV (its random movement of electrons) IS the environment of today”. Paik’s works question time and memory, and the core of a viewer’s sensory experiences. Not only challenging the art world by defying Modernism conventions, Paik succeeded