Nam June Paik : becoming robot /

Nam June Paik (1932-2006) has long been recognized as a critically important figure in the development of video art; this catalogue rightly extends his legacy to include what is now called new media. Essays in the catalogue reframe Paik's contribution, first, by revealing a number of predictions the artist made about the future only now realized with the ubiquitous nature of cyberspace and, second, by subtly shifting the discussion of his work from specifically rooted in video to an emphasis instead on the artist's blurring of boundaries (between media and the body; between performance art and video; between popular culture and fine art). The time line included at the conclusion of the book assists in this enterprise. The frame is completed by the inclusion of reflections on his contribution by contemporary artists (including Kenzo Digital, John Godfrey, John Maeda, Bill Viola, and Yoko Ono) and a conversation among Paik's nephew and two of the artist's former studio managers. This catalogue makes a substantial scholarly contribution, due less to these reflective pieces than to the large number of preparatory sketches and original documents it reproduces, notably typescripts with Paik's handwritten notes. Summing Up: Recommended. All readership levels. --Elizabeth K. Mix, Butler University