Fluxus

by Thomas Kellein, Jon Hendricks

"Fluxus" is an enigma. Can it be called an art movement? Or does it defy categorization? Associated with artists such as Joseph Beus and George Brecht," Fluxus" was founded in 1961 by George Maciunas, a New York design student who was involved with the group until his death in 1978. It represented the work of a group of young artists, writers and composers involved in a wide range of mixed-media events including concerts, performances, exhibitions and other "gatherings". The group is associated with a form of anti-art encompassing everything from photography and pavemment art to poetry and drama, and is known for its own range of products. This book presents a selection of "Fluxus' memorabilia - posters, sculptures and boxes, puzzles and games - that set out to capture the essence of the group's ideology, as well as photographs of some of the key events that took place, including the exhibitions of Yoko Ono and the performance of Nam June Paik. An introduction focuses on the aims and ambitions of the "chairman" of the group, George Maciunas.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

142 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1995

Reviews

[Tosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a large book on Fluxus, but nevertheless, an important one to have in one's collection. As far as I know, this is not a catalog of an exhibition. This book edited and written by Thomas Kellein, with an afterword by Jon Hendricks, was published in 1995. Oddly enough, although famous (at least in my world, the bedroom) art movement, it didn't at that time had a proper exhibition at a museum. Which is both alarming and delightful at the same time. It's a beautifully illustrated book full of Fluxus art, but also a listing of all the work produced by the artists under the Fluxus banner. I guess that by now there are probably more artworks out there that were not listed in this book.

The one surprising thing I learned in this book is the sadness surrounding Fluxus founder and organizer George Maciunas. He had a rough childhood, which led him to be totally attached to his mother for the rest of his life. It's touching to me that he got into art to have fun, and Fluxus is nothing but fun as its core, but of course, it has various serious issues as well. It seemed that he was brutally beaten up by construction workers that he didn't pay, for a utopian commune for artists. And on top of that, he was the first artist to look into Soho New York as an arts district. Many at the time didn't like him, but he did lead the forces to what I think is a better world.

[Kevin Parks · Rating 3 out of 5]

nice pictures

[Toti Posse Emiliani · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book.

[Wren · Rating 4 out of 5]

7.75/10