Nam June Paik

In an endless loop, unexposed film runs through the projector. The resulting projected image shows a surface illuminated by a bright light, occasionally altered by the appearance of scratches and dust particles in the surface of the damaged film material. (Media Art Net)

Suite 212 is Nam June Paik's "personal New York sketchbook," an electronic collage that presents multiple perspectives of New York's media landscape as a fragmented tour of the city. (eai.org)

Global Groove is a jumping-off point from which to explore current trends in international video art. A characteristically fast-paced barrage of images and sounds, Global Groove was Paik's prophetic statement about the future ubiquity of video. "This is a glimpse of a video landscape of tomorrow, when you will be able to switch to any TV station on the earth and TV Guides will be as fat as the Manhattan telephone book," he said. (Broad Art Museum)

Archival footage of news conferences by U.S. President Lyndon Johnson and New York Mayor John Lindsay is subject to image distortion and video alteration, in order to emphasize media manipulation and the fragile power of news outlets.

Part of a collection of restored early works by Nam June Paik, the haunting Beatles Electronique reveals Paik’s engagement with manipulation of pop icons and electronic images. Snippets of footage from A Hard Day’s Night are countered with Paik’s early electronic processing. (Letterboxd)

Part of the “Video-Film Concert” collection released by EAI. From 1966 - 1972.

Part of a restored collection of rare early works by Nam June Paik, Electronic Fables is an example of Paik’s early improvisations and experiments with electronic image manipulation, prior to his invention of the Paik/Abe Video Synthesizer. This piece also makes use of anecdotes by John Cage and other influential artists and cultural figures.

Part of a restored collection of rare early works by Nam June Paik, Waiting for Commercials is a hilarious compendium of Japanese TV commercials. This early example of Paik’s use of appropriated television imagery as pop cultural artifact was originally created for a performance piece of the same name, which featured Charlotte Moorman and her cello.

Part of the “Video-Film Concert” collection on EAI. From 1966 - 1972. Music by K. S. Narayanaswami.

The exuberant irreverence and wit of Butterfly characterizes Paik’s stream-of-consciousness visual and conceptual techniques. In a vibrant image/music collage, he ironically juxtaposes high-cultural artifacts (the aria from Madame Butterfly), contemporary avant-garde icons (Laurie Anderson) and Eastern symbols (the butterfly), within a rapid-paced proliferation of vividly computerized visual effects. This abbreviated work is classic Paik. (Letterboxd)

Marked by a playful, irreverent sense of improvisation and experimentation, these experiments with image manipulation and synthesis form a link between Paik’s performance and sculptural works of the 1950s and early 1960s and the celebrated video works and installations of his later years. (Letterboxd)

TV Cello Premiere is a silent film documentation of Charlotte Moorman in her first performance on Paik’s eponymous TV Cello at the Bonino Gallery in New York in 1971.