Than you Reid, What a fabulous story!
Allan -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Reid Wood Sent: Sunday, February 05, 2006 10:06 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: FLUXLIST: FW: [MCLUHAN-L] Paik Wake Yes. On Feb 5, 2006, at 6:14 PM, narvis & pez wrote: > hi > > paik is or not a fluxus artist? > > pez > ---------- >> From: purple <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> Reply-To: "MCLUHAN-L : Marshall McLuhan Discussion List" >> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> Date: Sat, 4 Feb 2006 00:02:23 -0500 >> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> Subject: [MCLUHAN-L] Paik Wake >> >> It was an astounding event. Apparently he's bigger than McLuhan. >> South Korea >> is building a big museum dedicated to his oeuvre. The Smithsonian >> has a lot >> of his work on display. >> >> All the avant-garde luminaries were there. Speeches were given by >> Yoko Ono, >> Christo and his wife, Jeanne-Claude, Bill Viola, and yours truly >> (I told >> some MM/Paik stories). Telegrams from the President of Korea, the >> German >> culture czar, the Smithsonian, etc. His nephew was the best. >> Here's how he >> ended his talk: >> >> "This is an interesting story I'll tell you. Aside >> from trying to keep him liquid, this is one of the >> most interesting things I did with him. In 1998, >> Nam June was invited to a state dinner at the >> Clinton White House, June of '98. If some of you >> remember, it's not that long ago, that was the >> height of the Monica Lewinsky scandal, which >> had broken out earlier, in January or February. >> Nam June was going, and he asked if I would go >> with him. So I said, sure. I went with him. I >> wheeled him into the White House, and these gigantic >> Marines took over from there. Nam June >> was very amused, I think. He was having a great >> time, talking to all the people there. >> Then we got to the receiving line. Nam June decided >> to show respect, I think, to the president, >> Mrs. Clinton, and the other dignitaries there. He >> decided to get up from his wheelchair, get on his >> walker, and try to walk across the receiving line. >> Across the receiving line at the state dinner is the >> World's press. They're all there; I don't know how >> many, tens of cameras and video cameras, everything. >> So as Nam June is talking to President Clinton, >> and I'm standing right behind him as he's >> making some small talk to President Clinton, >> Nam June turns around and says to me: Ken, >> I think my pants are falling. True story here. And >> I said, What? My pants are falling! he says. I >> look down, and his pants are falling! They are >> completely down on the floor. And he has no underwear on! >> So I pick up his pants. I pull them up and I just hold them there. >> Now, Bill Clinton is such a cool president he >> still continued to have small talk with my uncle. I >> think they were talking about Chelsea, maybe, I >> don't know. A little bit down the line, I could see >> that Hillary was really not amused at all. She was >> ticked. But Bill Clinton was saying nothing. It was really >> quite amazing. >> >> After that interesting dinner, Nam June was inundated >> with phone calls, faxes, everything. All his >> friends around the world thought that was the >> best Fluxus performance in the world. Everybody >> wanted to know, including the press, whether it >> was an accident or whether it was, because you >> have to remember, my uncle is in a wheelchair >> now but he has a reputation for being a cultural >> terrorist. So I asked Nam June, did you drop >> your pants on purpose? Was it an act? Was it an >> artistic statement? A political statement? And so >> he said, My pants dropped. That's all. He told >> me, and this is very Nam June, he said, It really >> doesn't matter. It was a great event. >> He's just like that, totally unfazed. Was he >> embarrassed? No, of course not! And I think >> Bill Clinton was very cool about that, too. The >> press was so excited that somebody else's pants, >> not the president's, had dropped in the White >> House. They were so excited by that. It was the >> ultimate Fluxus event. >> >> About two hours ago, I called Nam June and I >> told him I was going to receive this Medal for him, >> and I asked him, What advice do you have for >> the artists in the Colony? I'll pass on to you what >> he said. He said, Work hard. Be lazy - which is a >> very Nam June Paik thing to say. And he wished >> you all well. Thank you very much." >> >> At the end of the memorial today, the nephew handed out about >> fifty scissors >> and asked everyone to cut off the tie of the man next to you or >> you wouldn't >> be allowed in the reception. Everyone cut off their neighbor's tie >> and then >> Yoko suggested everyone put the pieces in Nam's open casket. >> Everyone did. >> >> More amazing things happened at the reception. >> >> >> Bob Dobbs >> >> >> P.S. Since he was a "global artist", Paik asked to be buried in 10 >> countries. > >
