I've been thinking about Paik a bit and wondering why I like his work so
much -- the little I know of it or think I know of it anyway . What's
interesting to me about his use of television is that in a lot of ways he
focused or called attention to the *hardware*. Unlike many other "video
artists" who used TV, Paik calls attention to the environment in which the
video is displayed (or not). In this connection I thought too of a remark of
Trungpa Rinpoche. Reportedly, when asked by some students if watching TV was
a bad thing (if it had a negative effect on mindfulness practice, e.g.), he
said something like "Not if you are aware of the wall behind the TV."
...i.e., being aware of the broader environment of the experience. ..A lot
of art makes us aware like that. .
