Nam June Paik Untitled (54th Birthday Print) 1985, Color Offset Lithograph. Hand Signed. Dated. Numbered. Unframed.

This very elusive limited edition, signed, numbered offset lithograph by multi-media pioneer Nam June Paik was based on a postcard the artist created in 1985 to celebrate his 54th birthday on July 20th. Today, Nam June Paik is recognized as the founding father of video art. Notwithstanding the present work, we have not seen this print appear on the market for more than a quarter century.  According to the Nam June Art Center, the work "juxtaposes historical events taking place on the 20th July, the same day as [Paik's] birthday, in the context of world politics: the birthday of Jacqueline Onassis in 1926, the execution day of Claus von Stauffenberg who attempted to assassinate Hitler in 1944, the first moon landing by Neil Armstrong in 1969. The beginning and the end of the list are math formulas made up of only question marks, under the years 0068 B.C., 2168 A.D respectively. The last one is an official main logo of Nam June Paik Art Center." Indeed, the artist places himself in an almost Zelig-like fashion, in the midst of a 2100 year continuum, and amongst such famous 20th century contemporaries whose lives have played out on television, like Jackie Onassis (born on  July 20, 1928)  and Claus Philipp Maria Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg who was killed on July 20,  1944. [Stauffenberg was German officer who was one of the leading members of the failed 20 July plot of 1944 to assassinate Adolf Hitler and remove the Nazi Party from power killed in 1941).  The composition also features one of the biggest media events of mid century America - the Moon landing - which occurred on his birthday -  July 20th, 1969. This birthday card design was so important to the artist, that he reprised it in later works - including this original drawing featured in the Nam June Park Art Center archives:

https://njpac-en.ggcf.kr/archives/artwork/n186_untitled

This lithograph is pencil signed and numbered from an edition of 120 and is in excellent condition. 

Again, other than the present work, we have not seen this print come to market in over 25 years. 

Nam June Paik was a pioneering installation and video artist considered to be the founder of video art. He was also credited with coining the term, "the electronic super highway". 

SIGNATURE

Hand signed and numbered on the recto (front).