a. Describe the elements of the new art form: the material, the actions, the way it is made and the way it is received (i.e., audience)
Fluxus, taken from the Latin “to flow”, is an international network of artists, composers, and designers noted for blending different artistic media disciplines in the 1960s. Fluxus had its earliest roots with John Cage in the late 50s, and is said to be formally founded by George Maciunas and Dick Higgings in the 60s. It uses a concept called intermedia, which describes hard to define interdisciplinary activities that occur between genres, such as between drawing and poetry, or between painting and theater. In essence it’s the process of trying to recombine common forms of media into unpredictable ways to create a new meaning, using the idea of remixability in not just one type of art, but several. Additionally it’s meant to be viewed less as a movement or style, but an attitude. The form encourages a do it yourself aesthetic, and values simplicity over complexity, as well as strong anti-commercialism and an anti-art sensibility. Material wise, Fluxus artists prefer to use whatever materials were readily at hand, and either created their own work or collaborated in the creation process with their colleagues. Outsourcing is usually frowned upon. Two prominent ideas in Fluxus are Fluxus boxes and event scores. Fluxus boxes originated with George Maciunas who would gather printed cards, games, and ideas, and organize them in small plastic or wooden bags. The term event scores was coined by Henry Cowell-a teacher to John Cage-and is used in exactly the sense that one uses the term to describe a musical score: a series of notes that allow anyone to perform the work. The scores themselves are like performance art. In contrast with happenings though, which are complicated planned performances similar to flash mobs, Fluxus pieces were simple. They were designed to elevate predictability, to be mindful of the mundane, and to frustrate the high culture of academic and market-driven music and art. Collage, sound art, music, video, and poetry are also other acceptable forms of Fluxus. This means that the way an audience receives Fluxus can range from a standalone piece that’s cartable, to watching or participating in a street performance. In the case of the latter, audience integration in performance was encouraged, contributing to the randomness of events.
b. How does the technology of that time inform, produce or make possible this new art form?
Since Fluxus art never stopped, the types of technology used span from the late 50’s to today. However when it comes to using technology with Fluxus, the medium isn’t a main concern. Those involved are more interested in communicating something, not having the most advanced piece of work. Their philosophy is always simplicity over complexity. Fluxus began in the 50’s mainly with John Cage and in the 60’s with George Maciunas. Cage focused mainly on music, or what he thought music was, and was essentially the inspiration for those after Maciunas. His most famous piece didn’t even involve any medium. The piece called “4’33” was a musical score that had the performer not play for the four minute and thirty-three second duration. The point was for the silence of the room for those four and a half minutes to be the music (Wikipedia). As for Cage and the majority of early Fluxus participants, they used the things around them. Because the Fluxus movement is applied in so many aspects of life, the way it’s done varies. Sometimes it’s in a musical sense, or through video capabilities, or sometimes through participatory action. Another example is how those involved use whatever was around them to make a statement like in some of Allan Kaprow’s “Happenings”. He wanted to combine everyday life with art. One of the Happenings involved a woman squeezing an orange and another was painters painting. (Wikipedia). Yoko Ono, a more recent well-known contributor to Fluxus made something called “toilet piece” which is just an audio clip of the sounds of a toilet flushing. So when it comes to the types of technology that influences Fluxus art and those who make it, it really doesn’t matter what is involved. Depending on what their goal is, artists use whatever works to get their point across. Ken Friedman, author of “Forty Years of Fluxus,” stated that most art was an avalanche of complicated, trendy typography and fussy, mannerist design created to look up-to-date rather than to communicate.” That simply means that some art gets so caught up in being advanced and with the times that it forgets the main goal of art, which is to connect on a certain level with the participant.
c. How does the technology of the time inform, produce or make possible new social interactions related to this new art form?
Dick Higgins, a co-founder of Fluxus, was still active with the idea until he passed away in 1998, just long enough to introduce Fluxus to the Internet. Higgins co-founded the Fluxlist, which is an online blog on Yahoo! groups. The Internet has been instrumental in making it possible for new social interactions to take place such as posting Fluxus works from all over the world, including FLUXFESTs (Allan Revich). A FLUXFEST is a “season of events celebrating the spirit of Fluxus, which…emerged as a reaction to the high-art of the 60’s. The emphasis is therefore on fun and frolics and will feature rare film, food, music, performance and miscellany” (Chris Unitt). FLUXFESTs provide the opportunity to view original Fluxfilms by a variety of artists including Yoko Ono, Joe Jones, and George Maciunas, along with interviews and documentaries of Fluxus activity from 60s through the 90s (Heavy Object). A FLUXFEST could be considered a happening because it’s a planned event meant to be considered art. Happenings can take place anywhere (frequently seen in large cities like NYC), are often multi-disciplinary and often lack any structure. They also frequently attempt to involve the audience in one way or another, much like some flash mobs because a few key things are planned, but artists always leave room for creativeness, ad-libbing and improvisation (Wikipedia). Social occasions like FLUXFESTs, dinners, banquets, happenings and boat trips are perfect examples of the “convivial ideologies and community ethos of the Fluxus community” (Heavy Object). In Fort Worth, Texas there is a FLUXmUSeum which is “THE place for 21st century Fluxus art” and was founded in 2006 by Cecil Touchon to provide recognition to Fluxus artists in the 21st century. Visitors can see the original art form in the FLUXmUSeum or on the website at www.fluxmuseum.org. FLUXmUSeum is a wing of the Ontological Museum, which is dedicated to Post-Dogmatism—“that ancient principle that is continuously self-renewing” (ontologicalmuseum.org). Fluxus remains indescribable, permanent, unchangeable, and unquestionably what it is and always will be—art created as a social outlet. For example, YouTube has a video about Mecanologie, which is a collaboration of everyday objects in robotic form done by Pierre Bastien. He put together a robot of everyday objects including a teapot, a comb, and some toothbrushes to work together to create a new sound (Heavy Object). Bastien used basic technology to create something new, a work of art that will have a different meaning and sound if it is changed, if it’s even possible to change it.
Basically, Fluxus is the essence of participation because it doesn’t exist without multiple participants, whether they’re human or robotic. Fluxus artists do not need to be physically together, especially with the advent of the Internet, but they will remain connected through their collaboration in the work art.
d. How does the new art form reflect on the art forms that preceded it?
Fluxus art reflects on and is influenced very much by the early art form Dada. It reflects on the strong anti-commercialism and anti-art sensibility that Dada art portrays. Fluxus and Dada both discourage the conventional market-driven art world in favor of an artist centered creative practice. (Wikipedia) Dada was pretty much anti-art, it represented the complete opposite of art and it was intended to offend, and offend it did. Many people disliked Dada and some people even believed that it was disgusting and destructive. Fluxus differs from Dada through its richer set of aspirations. Fluxus has positive social and communitarian aspiration that greatly out weighs the anti-art tendency that also marks the group. (Wikipedia) Fluxus is accepted more as art and overall just accepted more by society than Dada.
e. Explore the possible “critical” functions of the new art form.
Although culture and civilize culture area are good things, they have some bad tendencies. “The major tendency of civilize culture is to get overly restricted, narrow, standardize. Develop a strong sense of what is good acceptable appropriate and right. What normal is and what normal should be” said Allen Bukoff, one of the original founders of Fluxus. During the 1950s, all over the world, modern culture was becoming uncomfortably tight. Then a group of Fluxus artists came along, releasing all the suppressed creativities from modern human society at the time and completely changed the popular culture in human society. Fluxus was this powerful burst of creativity that helped expand the potential in popular culture. It was a culture revolution, and it’s what made our culture today.
Here are a few links with additional information and pictures:
http://fluxmuseum.org/ which shows a picture of "Fluxus as a well oiled machine"
http://www.vivid.org.uk/projects.php?work=44 which is where Laura found the video of the Mecanologie
http://fluxlisteurope.blogspot.com/ where Fluxus artists can contribute their art.
http://fluxlist.blogspot.com Another blog where Fluxus artists can contribute their art. As with the other one, it also documents some art from FLUXFESTS and other Fluxus artists.
http://fluxnexus.com/index.html Go to the mission page, it sums up the essence of Fluxus very well.
http://www.fluxus.org/ Diagrams portraying a visual explanation of Fluxus and it's development.
Additional sources include:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluxus
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