John Murray classes week of Jan.14, 2013

Nam June Paik at the Smithsonian.

I’ve long loved Nam June Paik’s work and wondered if his humor and visual concepts could work for you in your art.

Last week the assignment suggestion was a self portrait and reading a review in the Friday Jan.11 NYT, and seeing his Buddah contemplating his own image got me wondering if you might also contemplate your self portrait and see where that leads you.

Perhaps a change of media: to sculpture or a color copy of  last weeks work that you can transfer to a new canvas or cardboard and paint again. Or take a video with your phone and work from that (send it to others in the class, I can provide you with most emails).

One of my favorite local examples of Nam June Paik's work is at the deCordova Museum Sculpture Park; "Requiem for the 20^th Century", try and visit the museum and see it for yourself. Tell me what you think.

Go online and look at other examples of his work.

Nam June Paik died in 2006 but his work lives on for us.

See you next week, john.