In philosophy, “the Absurd” refers to the conflict between the human tendency to seek inherent value and meaning in life, and the human inability to find these with any certainty.[1] The universe and the human mind do not each separately cause the Absurd; rather, the Absurd arises by the contradictory nature of the two existing…
Tag: Art History
What is Fluxus?
This question has been asked before, and I have answered it in this, The Fluxus Blog, before. But that was a long time ago, and the question, “What is Fluxus” continues to be asked. For readers looking for a simple answer, contemporary Fluxus artist, Allan Revich has summarized Fluxus into just four characteristic ideas: Four…
Fluxus and Minimalism and Me
Roots of Fluxus vs. Roots of Minimalism Fluxus and Minimalism emerged at about the same time, and in reaction to the same tendencies in the art world. Both sensibilities evolved partly as a reaction against the post war (WWII) dogma of Abstract Expressionism. More importantly, they were both artistic revolutions against the art establishment. But…
Defeating the Demons of Decoration
This would look perfect above our sofa! It might be true that most of the visual art being purchased, is bought purely for its utility as wall decoration. It may also be true that a majority of visual artists are content creating an oeuvre of pretty pictures. But good art, real art, serious art, transcends…
The Fluxlist: Lists, Links, Social Media
The Fluxlist in 2018 is as busy as it ever has been since its founding in 1996 by Fluxus co-founder Dick Higgins and friends. Some of whom (like Allen Bukoff) remain active on the list to this day. Where will you find The Fluxlist today? Facebook Group (Most of the interactivity for which the intermedia…
Fluxus in 2016: Is it Relevant?
Is Fluxus still relevant in 2016? Let me make it easy for you dear reader. The (short) answer to this question is an unequivocal, “YES!“ If you’re still reading, I’ll assume that you have some interest in knowing why Fluxus, a “movement” from the early 1960s remains relevant (and dare I say important?) in the…
Jackson Mac Low: Fluxus Poet
Jackson Mac Low (September 12, 1922 – December 8, 2004), an early affiliate of the original group of Fluxus artists that surrounded George Maciunas, held distinction as being the first “poet of Fluxus”. While many Fluxus artists incorporated (and incorporate) text and visual poetry into the work, Mac Low was the first whose primary creative output was…
Forty Years of Fluxus, by Ken Friedman
Forty Years of Fluxus By Ken Friedman Publishing history: This article is published as: Friedman, Ken. 2002. “Cuarenta Anos de Fluxus.” Fluxus y Fluxfilms,1962-2002. Berta Sichel, editor, in collaboration with Peter Frank. Madrid: Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, 41-83. Copyright © Ken Friedman 2002. All rights reserved This text may be quoted and…
La Monte Young: His Life and Influence
Artist and musician, La Monte Young, has been to avant garde music what Ray Johnson was to Mail Art. He was influenced by John Cage, but went on to create his own highly influential oeuvre. When he wrote Trio for Strings, he was still a starving artist eating mustard sandwiches to survive. According to Young [he] “bought…
Fluxus Digital Collection Launch
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. PLEASE CIRCULATE WIDELY. Fluxus Digital Collection Launch April 7, 2015—We are pleased to announce the launch of The Fluxus Digital Collection. This online archive gathers an eclectic range of artworks by one of the most important movements of the twentieth century. Global in scope, Fluxus members moved between the USA, Europe, East…
What is Fluxus (by Mark Bloch, July 9, 2012)
Fluxus was an international group of thinkers, artists, composers, performers and designers that first networked themselves together in the late 1950s, then became a performance collective when they took their name in 1962, then a way of working with time and materials and eventually an art movement creating work in several dimensions and media that…
Let’s talk about Fluxus…
Or, What I Learned That Fluxus Was/Is/Isn’t/Might be/Should be/Could be We could start with Dada. Some people have called Fluxus “neodada”. Some have called contemporary Fluxus neodada. Those people are wrong. So we won’t start with Dada. Let’s start instead with John Cage. John Cage was not a Fluxus artist, and he had nothing directly…
