The past few decades, starting from the 1960s, we have seen a progression in art that plays with what is expected in a gallery. In other words, artists are known to exceed the limitations and the boundaries in order to “express” a situation. Later on, we were introduced to artworks that did not require a normal paintbrush and canvas setting. Artists from late 1970s and later, such as Barbara Kruger, Nam Jun Paik, Tony Oursler, Mike Kelley, Takashi Murakami and Adrian Piper, had a message. All of these artists expressed the problems, socially and politically, through the use of several mediums. These media can range from video, manipulated photographs, to sculptures, assemblage, collage, and performance.

Nam June Paik was one of the artists that specialized in video art. One of his works, called Electronic Superhighway, which is housed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum, successfully introduces the audience with digital and electronic media as an art expression. The art piece was an image of the United States with neon lights outlining each state. Behind it, is a series of television that fit each state. With a political hand, Paik also combined the work of advertising through television. While Paik encountered some criticisms that were unneeded, he still showed his work to “humanize technology and remake it through a spirit of play and freewheeling invention” (Hanhardt 149). Paik’s role in the art world was a success due to his quest for remaking television, transforming video while expanding the art world.

Television here is the key element that Paik specialized with. He used television as his medium to take portraits of himself, there is an installation called TV Garden, TV Buddha and also TV Cello. Indubitably, Nam June’s use of digital media triggered controversies. Additionally, had it not been for his origin, he would have had more acceptance and unbiased criticisms for his Electronic Superhighway - similar to Maya Lin’s work of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

Fast forward to a couple of years later, the use of computers rose and the audience were introduced to what is now called “digital media.” In other words, Nam June Paik's use of television evolved into something much more. Artists today are able to go back and forth if they want to work with traditional and digital media without much of the criticisms that Paik encountered. Artists today are able to expand on what is acceptable or not.

Digital media, because it is new, have different descriptions. Mainly, like all other artists, they serve a problem but they portray it digitally. Nam June Paik stated, “I will not teach about art but about art politics. At this point, it is not so important to make ‘art.’ Art cannot be taught. I teach my students to be prepared to face the business of art. Especially technological art like video” (Paik 42).

Each artwork represents a problem in the society. It also allows the audience to interact with the work. According to the Centre for Digital Media, digital media is introduced as one that “unleashes tremendous value for society – is taking advantage of these new capabilities relating to interactivity and group forming.”

Andrew Neumann is a Boston-based artist. He works with a variety of media. Similar to Paik, Neumann uses pieces with sculpture, film, video, and installation. He specialized with the use of electronic/interactive music as well. His works, what he calls “constructures,” questions the audience the original use and the possibilities of organizing “icons/objects, into a new language with a completely re-defined hierarchy” (Neumann).

The technology that we have allow artists to produce their art digitally. For instance, Andrew Neumann’s work of Rink plays on what is considered as “frozen” vs “dynamic” time. The panel includes a print, printed from inkjet, with five televisions showing a video of the print. The panel is a still photograph of what seems to be a park with people skating on a public skating rink; and televisions placed in different but intentional juxtaposition.

Neumann’s work of Rink plays on the idea of what is both traditional and digital. The use of the panel, which is considered as traditional, and the use of the television, digital. According to a press release, Neumann

“continues to explore the use of video technology as a source of self-referentiality, irony, paradox; it attempts to debase the mystery surrounding the transmission of the electronic image; it’s cold precise representation of the world, it’s tendency to allow one to act as voyeur; it’s potential for immediate gratification” (Neumann).

In other words, Neumann, like other digital media artists, explores the use of mediums requiring digital. It delivers a different vibe from those who are created in paper.

What differs digital media with traditional media is that digital media can easily be edited. In other words, traditional media, once made, does not allow for any revisions. However, one should know that whether it is digital or traditional art, they are both art. Both of these media still produce a message to the audience, just with a different delivery. Both artists in both media consider an aesthetic setting as well. All in all, they both communicate to the audience.


Works Cited
Hanhardt, John G. "Nam June Paik (1932–2006): Video Art Pioneer." American Art 20.2 (2006): 148-53. JSTOR. Web. 4 Mar. 2016.
Paik, Nam June. “Teaching Video Art”. Performing Arts Journal 17.2/3 (1995): 42–42. Web.
https://thecdm.ca/news/faculty-news/2013/10/15/what-is-digital-media
http://www.bitforms.com/exhibitions/neumann-new-works/bio