Nam June Paik - Editions & Works on Paper New York Monday, October 24, 2022 | Phillips

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  • Artist Biography

    Nam June Paik

    American • 1932 - 2006

    Nam June Paik was born in Seoul in 1932, but was forced to flee with his family due to the Korean War. Settling in Japan in 1950, Paik studied classical piano at the University of Tokyo before moving again to West Germany to continue his studies in music. There, he began integrating his art and music practices. 

    Paik is widely considered the father of video art. In the 1960s and 1970s, he was an integral member of the Fluxus movement, which is known for producing experimental works that sought to create new art forms. In Paik’s 1969 manifesto, he declared, “I want to shape the TV screen canvas as precisely as Leonardo, as freely as Picasso, as colorfully as Renoir, as profoundly as Mondrian, as violently as Pollock, and as lyrically as Jasper Johns.” 

    Often incorporating television sets into his work, one of his most famous works, TV Cello, transformed the machines into a working instrument, and in other instances, such as Good Morning Mr. Orwell, he would use the television as a conduit for live performance pieces. Paik’s musings proved to be rather prophetic. He coined the term “electronic super highway,” envisioning a world where media would be able to connect people from all over the world. Paik passed away in 2006. In the years since, numerous museums and institutions have launched career retrospectives, including the Whitney, the Guggenheim and the Smithsonian.

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329

Nightwatchman

1995
Sony Watchman and red oil lantern multiple.
12 1/2 x 7 x 5 1/2 in. (31.8 x 17.8 x 14 cm)
Signed and dated in black ink at the base of the lantern, from the edition of 25.

Estimate
$3,000 - 5,000 

Sold for $4,410

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Editions & Works on Paper

New York Auction 24 - 26 October 2022