As Freely as Picasso: Nam June Paik, WGBH-TV, and the Video Synthesizer

Abstract

During an artist’s residency at WGBH-TV, Nam June Paik invented a new method of image production that created complex feedback, brilliant color, and nonstop mixing from multiple sources. The Paik-Abe Video Synthesizer allowed him to distort images and produce electronic disturbances that transformed the language, content, and geopolitics of television. This article highlights Paik’s transnationalism and the centrality of collaboration in his video projects.