7.1 Fluxus movement

Fluxus, an avant-garde movement of the 1960s, challenged traditional art forms and influenced experimental music. It emphasized artistic freedom, spontaneity, and rejected established norms in creative expression. Emerging during post-World War II social upheaval, Fluxus reacted against art world commercialization and elitism.

Key characteristics of Fluxus included an intermedia approach, combining multiple artistic mediums and creating hybrid art forms. The movement embraced anti-art sentiment, rejecting traditional notions of skill and emphasizing process over product. Fluxus artists explored chance operations, audience participation, and everyday actions as artistic material.

Origins of Fluxus

• Emerged in the 1960s as an avant-garde movement challenging traditional art forms and concepts
• Influenced the development of experimental music within the broader context of Modern Era music
• Emphasized artistic freedom, spontaneity, and rejection of established norms in creative expression

Historical context

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• Developed during post-World War II era of social and cultural upheaval
• Reacted against the commercialization and elitism of the art world
• Coincided with rise of counterculture movements (Beat Generation, hippies)
• Influenced by earlier avant-garde movements (Dada, Surrealism)

Key founders

• George Maciunas coined the term "Fluxus" and organized first Fluxus events
• Dick Higgins contributed to theoretical foundations and coined "intermedia"
• Nam June Paik pioneered video art and experimental music within Fluxus
• Alison Knowles created performance pieces and event scores
• Ben Patterson integrated music and visual arts in Fluxus performances

Philosophical influences

• Zen Buddhism inspired focus on simplicity and everyday experiences
• John Cage's ideas on chance and indeterminacy shaped Fluxus approach to music
• Marcel Duchamp's concept of readymades influenced Fluxus' use of found objects
• Existentialism contributed to emphasis on individual experience and meaning-making
• Marxist critiques of capitalism informed anti-commercial stance

Characteristics of Fluxus

• Challenged traditional boundaries between different art forms and disciplines
• Emphasized active participation and engagement of audiences in artistic processes
• Rejected the notion of art as a commodity or precious object

Intermedia approach

• Combined multiple artistic mediums (music, visual arts, poetry, performance)
• Created new hybrid art forms (sound poetry, visual music, action music)
• Emphasized interdisciplinary collaboration among artists
• Explored intersections between art and technology (electronic music, video art)
• Developed "event scores" as instructions for performances across media

Anti-art sentiment

• Rejected traditional notions of artistic skill and craftsmanship
• Embraced amateurism and DIY aesthetics
• Critiqued the art market and institutional validation of art
• Sought to demystify the creative process and make art accessible to all
• Used humor and absurdism to challenge artistic conventions

Emphasis on process

• Valued the act of creation over the finished product
• Encouraged audience participation in artistic creation
• Explored chance operations and indeterminacy in composition
• Focused on everyday actions and objects as artistic material
• Developed "do-it-yourself" kits and instructions for art-making

Notable Fluxus artists

George Maciunas

• Lithuanian-American artist who organized first Fluxus events and publications
• Created Fluxus Manifesto outlining movement's goals and principles
• Designed distinctive Fluxus graphic style for event posters and publications
• Organized Fluxus concerts and festivals in Europe and United States
• Established Fluxhouse Cooperatives in New York City as artist living spaces

Yoko Ono

• Japanese-American artist known for conceptual and performance art
• Created "instruction pieces" inviting audience participation (Cut Piece)
• Collaborated with John Lennon on experimental music and peace activism
• Explored themes of feminism, peace, and cultural identity in her work
• Continues to influence contemporary artists and musicians

Nam June Paik

• Korean-American artist pioneered video art and experimental music
• Created multimedia installations combining television sets and sculpture
• Collaborated with cellist Charlotte Moorman on avant-garde performances
• Explored relationship between technology and human experience
• Influenced development of electronic and digital art forms

Fluxus in music

Experimental compositions

• John Cage's 4'33" inspired Fluxus approach to silence and ambient sound
• La Monte Young's extended drones explored minimalism and sustained tones
• Philip Corner's Piano Activities involved destruction of piano as performance
• Developed graphic scores and text-based instructions for performances
• Incorporated found objects and non-musical sounds into compositions

Chance operations

• Used random processes to determine musical elements (pitch, duration, dynamics)
• Employed I Ching and other divination methods in composition
• Created "event scores" with open-ended instructions for performers
• Explored aleatoric music allowing performer choices within set parameters
• Developed techniques for real-time composition and improvisation

Audience participation

• Invited audiences to create sounds or actions during performances
• Developed interactive installations allowing visitors to generate music
• Created participatory scores for non-musicians to perform
• Blurred boundaries between performers and audience members
• Explored collective creation and social aspects of music-making

Fluxus events and performances

Fluxus festivals

• Fluxus International Festival of Very New Music (Wiesbaden, 1962) launched movement
• Festum Fluxorum (Düsseldorf, 1963) featured performances by key Fluxus artists
• Flux-tours organized events in multiple European cities
• Yam Festival (New York, 1963) brought Fluxus to American audiences
• Annual Fluxfests continue tradition of experimental performances

Happenings

• Multidisciplinary events combining visual art, music, and theater
• Often occurred in non-traditional venues (streets, parks, private homes)
• Emphasized spontaneity and audience interaction
• Blurred boundaries between art and everyday life
• Influenced development of performance art and installation art

Mail art

• Used postal system as medium for artistic exchange and distribution
• Created collaborative networks of artists across geographic boundaries
• Developed rubber stamp art and artist-designed postage stamps
• Organized mail art exhibitions and projects
• Challenged traditional art world hierarchies and gatekeeping

Impact on modern art

Conceptual art movement

• Influenced shift from object-based art to idea-based art
• Emphasized documentation and instructions as artistic works
• Explored language and text as artistic medium
• Questioned nature of art and role of artist in society
• Developed site-specific and time-based art practices

Performance art influence

• Expanded notion of body as artistic medium
• Explored durational and endurance-based performances
• Developed ritualistic and repetitive actions in art
• Emphasized live presence and interaction with audiences
• Influenced development of body art and feminist performance

Minimalism connections

• Shared interest in reduction and simplification of artistic elements
• Explored repetition and seriality in composition
• Emphasized materiality and process in art-making
• Challenged traditional notions of authorship and originality
• Influenced development of minimal music and sound art

Fluxus vs traditional art

Rejection of commercialism

• Criticized art market speculation and commodification of artworks
• Created ephemeral and reproducible works resistant to traditional collecting
• Emphasized affordable and accessible art forms (multiples, artist books)
• Developed alternative distribution networks outside gallery system
• Challenged notion of artist as singular genius or celebrity

Democratization of art

• Encouraged non-artists to participate in creative processes
• Developed simple instructions for creating art (event scores, DIY kits)
• Explored collective authorship and collaborative creation
• Emphasized everyday experiences as worthy of artistic attention
• Challenged hierarchies between "high" and "low" art forms

Blurring of art and life

• Sought to integrate artistic practices into daily routines
• Explored mundane actions and objects as artistic material
• Developed site-specific works responding to everyday environments
• Emphasized art as a way of perceiving and engaging with the world
• Challenged separation between artistic and non-artistic experiences

Legacy of Fluxus

Influence on contemporary artists

• Relational aesthetics movement draws on Fluxus ideas of participation
• Social practice art continues Fluxus tradition of community engagement
• Neo-Fluxus artists reinterpret movement's principles for digital age
• Fluxus strategies adopted in activist art and culture jamming
• Influence seen in interdisciplinary approaches to art education

Fluxus in digital age

• Online platforms enable new forms of mail art and networked creativity
• Digital technologies facilitate participatory and interactive artworks
• Social media allows for real-time documentation of Fluxus-inspired events
• Virtual and augmented reality explored as new mediums for Fluxus experiences
• Open-source culture resonates with Fluxus principles of sharing and collaboration

Critical reception and debates

• Ongoing discussions about Fluxus' place in art historical canon
• Debates over commodification of Fluxus works in contemporary art market
• Questions raised about preserving ephemeral and performance-based Fluxus works
• Critiques of Fluxus' utopian ideals and effectiveness in challenging art world
• Reassessment of Fluxus contributions to feminist and non-Western art practices