Nam June Paik

Jan 22

Nam June Paik is one of the groundbreaking contemporary artist for Bonham-Carter and Hodge (2013). He is widely recognized as the pioneering video artist and a critic of emerging technologies. Notably, Paik coined the term "information superhighway" as early as 1974, foreseeing the transformative impact of digital communication. Throughout his career, Paik was dedicated to expanding the possibilities of video and the moving image as artistic mediums, constantly pushing the boundaries of how electronic imagery could be used in creative expression. His decades-long experimentation with new media laid the foundation for the integration of technology into contemporary art, making him a foundational figure in the development of digital and video art as we know it today.

My work will be venturing into new media so I pay respect to Paik and his works. As I am opening new doors by using computers, my work may also tap into video and sound. Additionally, his work also engages with themes of spirituality, and the intersection of technology on human experience.

Reference:

Bonham-Carter, C. and Hodge, D. (2013). Contemporary Art: The Essential Guide to 200 Groundbreaking Artists. (p.284). Goodman.

Kevin Roque

Utilizing a collage approach in drawing, Kevin Roque offers enigmatic works that touch on societal issues and literary perspectives. Roque graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Painting) at the University of the Philippines Diliman in 2022. Before this, he was a self-taught artist, creating illustrations and book covers for locally published books. Roque has participated in various group exhibitions in Metro Manila since 2010 and has had solo exhibitions at the Prism Gallery and the Center for Art, New Ventures & Sustainable Development (CANVAS) Gallery. He also joined local artist residencies such as CANVAS Artist in Residence in Batangas and Linangan Art Residency in Cavite. Recently, he got shortlisted for the first SANAG UP Art Prize. Roque has been a member of several artist groups, including the UGATlahi Artist Collective, Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan (InK), and the Malate Literary Folio.

As a skilled worker who values technical skill and craftsmanship, he uses graphite in drawing to capture the gritty details and nuances of his subjects, making it a powerful storytelling tool to illustrate issues such as inequality, labor conditions, or societal injustices. In his compositions, he seemingly blurs notions of reality and perception. This deliberate blurring of boundaries adds layers of depth and intrigue, inviting viewers to contemplate their fluidity and subjectivity. He also employs visual metaphors, where images stand in for larger ideas or narratives. This allows him to convey complex themes or stories in a condensed and evocative manner.

“In all his works, the referents, whose meanings are culled from history, literature, and present social conditions, are made to exist in the same pictorial plane. Often, what they signify, coincide, collude, and blur. Roque’s inchoate marks and textures also draw attention to a palpable sense of space. Instead of a tabula rasa, one discerns faint and obscure stirrings between and amid more established significations. Roque’s works reveal indications of progressive politics yet veer from direct fervor and incitement of emotions. Without discarding the seriousness of the topic, Roque employs more oblique methods that prod at the surfaces and forms of the nation’s socio-historical and political issues“ (JC Rosette).

Nam June Paik

Post-Digital Aesthetics and Glitch

Nikki McCarthy