Nam June Paik and More on The Residents

Nam June Paik is an innovator and creative individual that uses old tvs to create art. I loved his robots shown in class today. They are not only adorable but are amazing artistic. While there are other artists creating actual robots that can be used for daily life, Paik's robots have no reason other than to decontexturalize and appreciate the art. Another interesting artwork by Paik is the cello performance, where he created a tv bra and a cello that allowed the viewer to see the instrument as the performers wardrobe. I found this interesting because the musician puts so much time and effort into their performances, that over time the instrument becomes part of them and their life. Although his video art was great, he is also a great performance artist. One piece that I like was how he believed you didn't have to play the violin with the bow but instead dragged it behind him and then banged it against different surfaces. Once again we see artist reinventing the idea of something by taking it out of its original context, similar to sonic youth.
On another note, The Residents were presented again, but this time we got to see a live performance. I find it extremely interesting that we don't know who these people are performing. They're outrageous costumes and performance overall keeps you watching even it you don't like the music. Although their costumes are somewhat clown-like and frightening, you can see the influence that they have on today's children's characters such as on seasame street or other tv shows. They are trying to grab your attention through the soft, cute side where they are seen as very likable characters, instead of receiving negative attention. Creating a softer image allows them to reach out to several different types of fans instead of one particular group in order to sell more albums.