🎶Experimental Music Unit 7 – Fluxus & Intermedia: Performance & Experimental

What's Fluxus & Intermedia?

• Fluxus is an international, interdisciplinary community of artists, composers, designers and poets that emerged in the early 1960s
• Intermedia refers to the interdisciplinary art forms that emerged in the 1960s, often combining different media and blurring the boundaries between art and life
• Fluxus artists sought to break down the barriers between art and life, often creating works that were ephemeral, participatory, and open-ended
• Fluxus embraced an anti-art, anti-commercial, and anti-elitist attitude, rejecting the idea of art as a commodity and the artist as a genius
  • Fluxus works often used everyday objects and materials (playing cards, rubber stamps, food) to create art that was accessible and democratic
• Intermedia encompasses a wide range of hybrid art forms that combine elements of music, theater, dance, visual art, and literature
  • Examples of intermedia include happenings, performance art, sound art, and video art
• Fluxus and Intermedia challenged traditional notions of authorship, originality, and the art object, emphasizing process, collaboration, and audience participation

Key Players & Their Contributions

• George Maciunas, often considered the founding member of Fluxus, organized early Fluxus events and created many Fluxus editions and multiples
• John Cage, an American composer, influenced Fluxus with his experimental music and his ideas about chance, indeterminacy, and silence
  • Cage's famous work "4'33"" (1952) consists of four minutes and thirty-three seconds of silence, challenging the definition of music
• Yoko Ono, a Japanese artist, created influential performance pieces and instructional works that invited audience participation (Cut Piece, 1964)
• Nam June Paik, a Korean-American artist, pioneered video art and created multimedia installations that often incorporated television sets and live video feeds
• Joseph Beuys, a German artist, created social sculptures and performances that blurred the boundaries between art and life (I Like America and America Likes Me, 1974)
• Dick Higgins, an American artist, coined the term "intermedia" and created works that combined elements of music, literature, and visual art (Danger Music series, 1962)
• Alison Knowles, an American artist, created event scores and performances that often involved everyday objects and actions (Make a Salad, 1962)
• La Monte Young, an American composer, explored extended duration and sustained tones in his experimental music compositions (Composition 1960 #7)

Breaking Boundaries: Merging Art Forms

• Fluxus and Intermedia artists sought to break down the boundaries between different art forms, creating works that combined elements of music, theater, dance, visual art, and literature
• Happenings, a term coined by Allan Kaprow, were performance events that blurred the line between art and life, often involving audience participation and improvisation
  • Kaprow's "18 Happenings in 6 Parts" (1959) is considered one of the first happenings, involving a series of scripted actions performed by Kaprow and other participants
• Performance art emerged as a distinct genre in the 1960s and 1970s, with artists using their bodies as the medium for artistic expression
  • Performance art often addressed social and political issues, challenging traditional gender roles and exploring identity and sexuality
• Fluxus scores, or event scores, were brief instructions for performances that could be realized by anyone, blurring the line between composer, performer, and audience
  • Yoko Ono's "Grapefruit" (1964) is a collection of event scores that invite the reader to perform simple actions and imagine alternative realities
• Intermedia works often incorporated new technologies, such as video, computers, and electronic music, expanding the possibilities for artistic expression
  • Nam June Paik's "TV Buddha" (1974) juxtaposes a statue of Buddha with a live video feed of itself, creating a meditation on the relationship between technology and spirituality
• Fluxus and Intermedia artists collaborated across disciplines, creating works that defied categorization and challenged the boundaries of traditional art forms

Performance Art Essentials

• Performance art is a genre of art in which the artist uses their body as the medium, often performing live actions or gestures in front of an audience
• Performance art emerged in the 1960s and 1970s as a way for artists to challenge traditional art forms and address social and political issues
  • Early performance artists include Yoko Ono, Marina Abramović, Chris Burden, and Vito Acconci
• Performance art often involves elements of improvisation, chance, and audience participation, blurring the line between art and life
  • Marina Abramović's "Rhythm 0" (1974) invited the audience to use 72 objects on her body however they desired, testing the limits of the artist-audience relationship
• Performance art can be durational, with performances lasting for hours or even days
  • Tehching Hsieh's "One Year Performance" series (1978-1986) involved the artist subjecting himself to extreme constraints for an entire year, such as living outside or punching a time clock every hour
• Performance art often addresses issues of identity, gender, sexuality, and politics, using the body as a site of resistance and transformation
  • Adrian Piper's "Catalysis" series (1970-1973) involved the artist performing everyday actions in public while wearing strange or provocative clothing, challenging social norms and expectations
• Documentation is an important aspect of performance art, with photographs, videos, and written accounts serving as a record of the ephemeral event
  • Chris Burden's "Shoot" (1971), in which the artist was shot in the arm by a friend, is known primarily through its documentation rather than the live event itself

Experimental Music Techniques

• Experimental music is a broad term that encompasses a wide range of musical practices that challenge traditional notions of composition, performance, and listening
• Experimental composers often use unconventional instruments, extended techniques, and alternative notation systems to create new sounds and textures
  • John Cage's "Sonatas and Interludes" (1946-1948) is a collection of pieces for prepared piano, in which objects are placed between the strings to alter the sound
• Indeterminacy and chance operations are common techniques in experimental music, with composers using random processes or open-ended scores to create unpredictable results
  • Earle Brown's "December 1952" is a graphic score that consists of horizontal and vertical lines, allowing the performer to interpret the score in multiple ways
• Experimental composers often explore the spatial and visual aspects of music, using unconventional performance setups or incorporating visual elements into their scores
  • Alvin Lucier's "I Am Sitting in a Room" (1969) involves the composer recording himself speaking in a room, then playing back the recording and re-recording it repeatedly until the speech becomes unintelligible
• Experimental music often blurs the line between composition and improvisation, with performers given a high degree of freedom to interpret and respond to the score
  • Cornelius Cardew's "Treatise" (1963-1967) is a 193-page graphic score that consists of abstract shapes and symbols, inviting the performer to create their own interpretation
• Technology plays a significant role in experimental music, with composers using electronic instruments, computers, and software to create new sounds and manipulate existing ones
  • Pauline Oliveros' "Deep Listening" practice involves using technology to create immersive sonic environments and heighten awareness of the listening process

Famous Works & Their Impact

• "4'33"" (1952) by John Cage: A piece consisting of four minutes and thirty-three seconds of silence, challenging the definition of music and the role of the performer
  • The piece has become a seminal work in experimental music, inspiring countless interpretations and responses from artists across disciplines
• "Cut Piece" (1964) by Yoko Ono: A performance in which Ono invited the audience to cut away pieces of her clothing with scissors, exploring themes of vulnerability, gender, and the artist-audience relationship
  • The piece has been re-performed by Ono and other artists multiple times, and has become an iconic work of feminist performance art
• "I Like America and America Likes Me" (1974) by Joseph Beuys: A performance in which Beuys spent three days living with a coyote in a gallery space, exploring themes of nature, culture, and social transformation
  • The piece has become a seminal work of social sculpture, inspiring artists to engage with social and political issues through their work
• "Rhythm 0" (1974) by Marina Abramović: A performance in which Abramović invited the audience to use 72 objects on her body however they desired, testing the limits of the artist-audience relationship
  • The piece has become a seminal work of performance art, inspiring countless artists to explore the boundaries of the body and the self
• "TV Buddha" (1974) by Nam June Paik: An installation consisting of a statue of Buddha facing a live video feed of itself, creating a meditation on the relationship between technology and spirituality
  • The piece has become a seminal work of video art, inspiring artists to explore the possibilities of new media and technology in their work

DIY Fluxus: Try This at Home

• Fluxus artists often created works that could be easily reproduced and performed by anyone, emphasizing the idea of art as a participatory and democratic process
• Many Fluxus works take the form of event scores, which are brief instructions for performances that can be realized by anyone, anywhere
  • George Brecht's "Drip Music" (1959) consists of the instruction "A source of dripping water and an empty vessel are arranged so that the water falls into the vessel", inviting the performer to create their own interpretation
• Fluxus boxes and kits were collections of objects and instructions that could be used to create performances or artworks
  • The "Fluxkit" (1965) was a suitcase containing various Fluxus works and objects, including event scores, games, and puzzles
• Fluxus artists often used everyday objects and materials in their work, emphasizing the idea that art can be made from anything
  • Alison Knowles' "Proposition" (1962) consists of the instruction "Make a salad", inviting the performer to create art from a simple everyday action
• Fluxus works often involve elements of humor, absurdity, and playfulness, encouraging participants to approach art with a sense of curiosity and experimentation
  • Robert Watts' "Trace" (1963) consists of the instruction "Trace something", inviting the performer to create art from a simple gesture or action
• Many Fluxus works can be easily recreated at home using simple materials and instructions, emphasizing the idea that art is accessible to everyone
  • Yoko Ono's "Painting to Be Stepped On" (1960) consists of a canvas placed on the floor, inviting participants to step on it and create their own marks and patterns

Legacy & Influence on Modern Art

• Fluxus and Intermedia had a significant impact on the development of contemporary art, influencing a wide range of artistic practices and movements
• Fluxus' emphasis on process, collaboration, and audience participation has become a key aspect of contemporary art, with many artists creating works that invite viewers to actively engage with the work
  • Rirkrit Tiravanija's "Untitled (Free)" (1992) transformed a gallery space into a kitchen where the artist cooked and served food to visitors, creating a social and participatory experience
• Fluxus' use of everyday objects and materials has influenced the development of conceptual art, with many artists using found objects and readymades to create works that challenge traditional notions of art and value
  • Damien Hirst's "The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living" (1991) consists of a shark preserved in formaldehyde, creating a meditation on death and the art market
• Intermedia's emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration and the blurring of boundaries between art forms has become a key aspect of contemporary art, with many artists working across multiple media and disciplines
  • Matthew Barney's "Cremaster Cycle" (1994-2002) is a series of films that combine elements of sculpture, performance, and video, creating a complex and immersive narrative experience
• Fluxus and Intermedia's challenge to traditional notions of authorship and originality has influenced the development of appropriation art and remix culture, with many artists using existing images and texts to create new works
  • Sherrie Levine's "After Walker Evans" (1981) consists of photographs of photographs by Walker Evans, challenging ideas of originality and authorship in art
• The legacy of Fluxus and Intermedia can be seen in the work of many contemporary artists who continue to push the boundaries of art and challenge traditional notions of what art can be
  • Andrea Fraser's "Museum Highlights" (1989) is a performance in which the artist posed as a museum tour guide, offering a critical and humorous commentary on the institution of the museum and the role of the artist