that is the best story that has come from the press so far. really wonderful. wouldn't it have been amazing to have been there.
bests, carol xx Allan Revich wrote: > > 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. > > > >
