A Tribute for John Cage, 1974
ArtistNam June Paik,
Soul
1932–2006
Miami
Videoband, Color, U-Matic
Status
not on displayAccession
Acquisition 1982
Inventory numberZM1982.8
Contact
sammlung@kunstpalast.de
About the workIn 1958, John Cage performed "Music Walk" at Jean-Pierre Wilhelm's Galerie 22 in Düsseldorf. One year later, Paik's first action beyond conventional music also took place here, which he expressly dedicated to this role model: "Hommage à John Cage, Music for Tapes and Piano. He has already summarized essential elements for this in a letter from 1959, in which he describes three music sheets totaling circa 10 minutes: "First score is: 'Marcel Duchamp + Dostoevsky = K. Schwitters, Variété = Variation.'" It is a proof that the sublime is essentially inseparable from the ugly and comedic. Second score is 'As boring as possible; like Proust, Palestrina, Zen, Gregorian chant, Missa, Parisian café, life, sex and dog looking into the distance.' Third score is more a musical philosophy than a philosophical music. Quotes from Artaud and Rimbaud sound from the loudspeaker."