Electronic Superhighway
Nam June Paik
created in 1995
The Electronic Superhighway was created by Nam June Paik in 1995. As seen in the photo, the piece incorporates electric neon piping alongside extremely precise placement of the piping to create the image of the United States (excluding Alaska and Hawaii). Because of the neon piping, it accentuates the bright and lively culture of the American people and the American dream. Paik incorporated the flashing images “seen as though from a passing car” with audio clips from the movie The Wizard of Oz alongside several other American classic films, suggesting that our picture of America has always been influenced by film and television. Today, the Internet and twenty-four-hour broadcasting tend to group together the customs and accents of what was once a more diverse nation. Paik was the first to use the phrase “electronic superhighway,” and this installation proposes that electronic media provide us with what we used to leave home to discover. In addition to the artwork displaying the culture of the United states, the Electronic Superhighway helps depict the slow watering-down of american culture due to the creation of the internet. What us Americans did prior to the internet, such as travelling to new places, meeting new people outside our homes, having fun with friends have now all been replaced due to the creation of the internet. All the things that America was known for has now been replaced by fads created by the internet. Rather than travelling for our enjoyment, we travel to brag about where we’ve been by posting the best pictures on social media like Instagram and Snapchat and even Twitter. The different colors suggest the different cultures of each state. For example, Texas is orange so it represents a more outdoor society, while California boasts a purple border, to represent the chill vibe its culture gives off. Lastly, the TV’s in the background represent the old American culture. As seen in some of the tv’s, there are pictures of people surfing and people communicating with each other.
citations
Paik, Nam June. “Electronic Superhighway: Continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii.” Smithsonian American Art Museum, americanart.si.edu/artwork/electronic-superhighway-continental-us-alaska-hawaii-71478.
“Nam June Paik, Electronic Superhighway: Continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii.” Khan Academy, Khan Academy, www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/global-contemporary/a/paik-electronic-superhighway.
“Electronic Superhighway: Continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii [Nam June Paik].” Sartle – See Art Differently, 24 June 2015, www.sartle.com/artwork/electronic-superhighway-continental-us-alaska-hawaii-nam-june-paik.