About Allan Revich
- Born 1956 in Toronto, Canada
- Studied art at the University of Toronto, the Ontario College of Art, and the Jerusalem Printmaking Workshop.
- Graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree and from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education with a Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree.
- Lived in Israel for five years, as a member of Kibbutz Kiryat Anavim, and served as a soldier in the IDF.
- Work has been exhibited in several major international group shows.
Work is in several private and public collections worldwide. Poetry has appeared in the collections of small press publications. Poetry and visual poetry have also been published in several art books. - I also administer and contribute to the Fluxlist Facebook Group.
Artist Statement
I dislike art-speak. I create art because I like making art. When other people like what I make I feel happy. When other people buy what I make I feel happy. When nobody likes what I make, I make art anyway.
For those that can’t appreciate art without the art-speak, here is a longer version.
I am an artist who is interested in creative intersections, particularly the intersection of Fluxus, neoexpressionism, and postminimalism. Fluxus is an international, interdisciplinary, and experimental approach to art making that emerged in the early 1960s. It is characterized by its use of everyday objects, media intersections (intermedia), with an emphasis on performance and participation, along with a playful, irreverent attitude. Neoexpressionism is a post-war art movement that flourished emerged in the early 1970s. It is characterized by its use of expressive brushstrokes, and a return to the recognizable representation of the figure, and other subject matter. Postminimalism is a Fluxus-like extension/rejection of formalist minimalism, and is characterized by the use of simple materials and forms, an emphasis on process, and the continuing exploration of the relationship between art and everyday life. All of these concepts and creative practices continue to have vibrant communities of creators today.
My work is inspired and influenced by the ideas and practices of Fluxus, neoexpressionism, and postminimalism. I use art to explore the human condition, to challenge the status quo, and to make people think. My work often takes the form of painting, performance, poetry or sound. I create works that are both visually appealing and intellectually stimulating. I believe that art can be a powerful tool for visualizing positive change, and I am committed to using my work to make the world a better place.
About Fluxus
Fluxus started in the early 1960s. It was an outgrowth of the work of John Cage, along with elements of Dada. In 1961 George Maciunas called this new way of working and living “Fluxus”. Other early practitioners include Dick Higgins (a co-founder of the Fluxlist), Alison Knowles, Yoko Ono, Nam June Paik, Al Hansen, Larry Miller, and Geoffrey Hendricks. The Fluxus torch is now being carried by a new group of artists, including Allen Bukoff, Keith Buchholz, Cecil Touchon, Reed Altemus, Bibiana Padilla-Maltos, Reid Wood, Picasso Gaglione, Josh Ronson, Luc Fierens, and Allan Revich. With the dawn and growth of the Internet, Fluxus continues to expand its community and influence.
Fluxus has always been notoriously difficult to pin down because it has never fit neatly into any category assigned by the art market or the art academy. I have summarized it as concisely as I think is possible into five points:
- Fluxus is an attitude. It is not a movement or a style.
- Fluxus is intermedia. Fluxus creators like to see what happens when different media intersect. They use found and everyday objects, sounds, images, and texts to create new combinations of objects, sounds, images, and texts.
- Fluxus works are simple. The art is small, the texts are short, and the performances are brief.
- Fluxus should be fun. Humor has always been an important element in Fluxus.
- Items one through four are not carved in stone.