12th Lesson - Art History

Definition: Fluxus is an international avant-garde network of artists and composers founded in the 1960s.
Founder: The movement was founded by the Lithuanian/American artist George Maciunas.
Origins: Began as a small but international group defined by a shared attitude; not a singular movement.
Meaning of 'Fluxus': Latin word meaning flowing; in English, 'flux' is a flowing out.
Purpose: Maciunas advocated for a ‘revolutionary flood and tide in art’ focused on living art and anti-art, resonating with ideas from Dada.
First Fluxus Event: The inaugural event took place in 1961 at the AG Gallery in New York.
Major Centers: Key hubs of Fluxus activity included New York, Germany, and Japan.

First Section: "PURGE the world of dead art…abstract art, [and] illusionistic art…"
- Outcome: This purging aims to leave "concrete art," equated with reality or ready-made.
Second Section: "PROMOTE A REVOLUTIONARY FLOOD AND TIDE IN ART. Promote living art, anti-art, promote NON ART REALITY to be grasped by all peoples, not only critics, dilettantes and professionals."

Role in Art Definition: Fluxus played a significant role in redefining what art can be, leading to a coexistence of diverse art forms since the 1960s.
No Unifying Style: The movement is characterized by a mix of styles, materials, and processes, with a ‘do-it-yourself’ approach.
Performances: Emphasis on random performances using various materials; often involved audience participation.
Democratic Nature: Fluxus represents a democratic approach to creativity, open to anyone, and encourages collaborations among artists and audience members.
Main Characteristics: Key traits include simplicity, humor, randomness, and anti-commercialism.
Notable Artists: Influential participants included Joseph Beuys, Dick Higgins, Yoko Ono, Nam June Paik, Ben Vautier, Robert Watts, Benjamin Patterson, and Emmett Williams.

Cross-Disciplinary Art: Unlike traditional movements, Fluxus blurred the lines between different art forms (visual arts, literature, performance) including music, dance, and theater.
Challenge to Museums: Fluxus artists rejected the authority of museums, believing that art should be accessible to all, not just an elite few.
Impact on Audience: By involving the audience in works, Fluxus challenged the traditional passive role of viewers and fostered interactivity.
Use of Chance: Many Fluxus works utilized chance to define the final form of the piece, promoting fluidity and openness in art.

Joseph Beuys: "How to Explain Pictures to a Dead Hare" (1965)
- Concept: Beuys locked doors to exclude the audience, allowing them to observe through windows. He walked around with his head covered in honey and gold leaf, explaining the artwork to a dead hare.
- Duration: Performance lasted three hours.
- Themes: Explores traditional art criticism and the nature of art explanation.
Shamanistic Influences: Beuys was inspired by shamanistic practices, particularly the transformation through art.

Definition of Body Art: Characterized by the use of the artist's body as the medium, erasing boundaries between artist, performance, and message.
Post-1960s Context: Artists began to use their bodies to convey personal, political, and social messages, particularly in reaction to changing views on nudity.
Connection to Viewer: Body art creates a direct channel of communication, amplifying the experience for viewers, compelling them to engage viscerally with the artwork.
Visual Representation: The body becomes the site for performance, challenging audiences to confront their own physical presence and perceptions thereof.

Definition: A radical and explicit performance art movement that formed in Vienna during the 1960s, known for graphic performances called ‘aktions.’
Key Figures: The main artists included Otto Muehl, Hermann Nitsch, Rudolf Schwarzkogler, and Gunter Brus, all of whom received formal art education.
Artistic Approach: Their works were violent and provocative, utilizing organic materials (blood, urine, etc.) instead of traditional art supplies, reflecting societal trauma from WWII.
Public Interaction: They staged performances that sought to confront and challenge the public’s discomfort with history and traditional artistic norms.

“Blood Organ”: The inaugural performance symbolizing the movement, featuring the symbolic crucifixion of a lamb and a commentary on religious and political critique.
Artistic Philosophy: The Actionists sought to bypass traditional narratives in art and were often met with legal challenges due to the explicit nature of their performances.
Psychological Foundations: Many artists drew from the philosophical legacy of Sigmund Freud, integrating ideas of trauma and repression into their works.

Pain and Suffering: Many body art pieces involve self-inflicted pain to evoke visceral emotional responses from the audience.
Feminist Perspectives: Female artists utilized their bodies to confront and critique traditional representations of femininity and sexuality, combining personal and political elements.
Notable Performers: Chris Burden with "Trans-Fixed" (1971) and Marina Abramović with her various provocative performances exemplified the visceral nature of body art.
Cultural Critique: Artists like Carolee Schneemann engaged in feminist dialogues, using their bodies to reclaim and redefine notions of femininity and sexuality.