Idealisms of Do-It-Yourself Media Arts from Portapak to Internet
Something happened when Sony introduced the Portapak into the market. A change occurred. The concept of ‘television’ became smaller, more personal, direct, idiosyncratic, differently political, artistic and unpredictable. This change had already occurred earlier with reel to reel audio recording and playback decks, such as when the German company Uher introduced their Report 4000 series of professional and portable, stereo open-reel magnetic-tape audio recorders and playback decks. The Sony Portapak followed and expanded on the form and functionality of the Uher Report 4000 series, offering video capabilities in addition to audio. Both of these product lines, the Portapak and the Report series of reel to reel audio recorders, were carried by 1 person, over the shoulder, in strong leather satchels. People adopted these devices quickly, utilizing these systems for journalistic, artistic and media production purposes independently, in self-directed exploratory experiments. Both types of systems enabled recording and playback such that what was recorded could be seen/heard and edited immediately. And famously, both types of devices were used quickly and early on by Nam June Paik in artworks and projects that would signal the possibilities of media art for decades to come.
