Dimensions / 200x71cm
Medium / Paper, Ink

Paik presented Zen for Head on October 26, 1961, at Stockhausen’s Originale. Using his head, hands, and necktie dipped in ink as a brush, he slowly dragged himself along a piece of paper laid on the floor, recording the minutest gestures of his body. This work was Paik’s interpretation of La Monte Young’s Composition 1960 #10 to Bob Morris (1960). La Monte Young’s original score consists of the quote, “Draw a straight line and follow it.” Paik revisits this performance on August 9 the following year at the Fluxus International Festspiele Neuster Musik held at Städtlisches Museum Wiesbaden. For this performance he dipped his head in a mixture of ink and tomato juice and slowly dragged it along a 4-meter (13-feet) long piece of paper. In surviving video footage, Paik appears to be concentrated on his performance, his gestures deliberate and powerful, while the audience is shown laughing and pointing at the incredible spectacle. Paik saved the inked paper from the performance as a separate piece under the same title.