Module 10: In Fluxus

FLux Year 2 Box; from wikipedia.org

Fluxus: Latin; literally means to change or to flow.

• A movement rooted in Dada. Began in the 1960s. 
• “Fluxus members avoided any limiting art theories, and spurned pure aesthetic objectives” [1]
• international and interdisciplinary
• George Maciunas—a founder
• Marchel Duchamp—an influence

http://www.ubu.com/aspen/aspen8/index.html
An issue of the magazine Aspen. Shows the interdisciplinary nature of the Fluxus movement; includes music, design, painting, spoken word works.

• Fluxus focuses on bringing about social change in the art world.
• works are mostly irreverent
• integrates everyday experience and found objects and experiences
• minimalist
• Some members were interested in starting their own art communes—Robert Filliou and George Brecht started The Cedilla That Smiles (1965-1968)
• The state of the movement since 1978 (when Maciunas died) has been and is up for debate.

The influences on Fluxus—Dada, minimalism, conceptual art, surrealism—are evident in the works themselves. The Fluxus emphasis on "do-it-yourself", affordability and access to art, and bucking of art trends certainly fits with the general 1960s anti-establishment culture. Fluxus is certainly counter-culture, in that it seeks (or sought, depending on your perspective) to change culture—it isn't just about going against the established culture, but actively seeks to change what culture is all about.

The idea of art "for the people" seems to have roots that go back as far as Gutenberg, and the printing press he created which led to the explosion of literacy. With each technological leap, art for the people (the people being understood to be the lower economic classes) finds new ground. The printing press led to affordable books for the masses; the internet led to free spaces for discussion, the exchange of ideas, and free access to knowledge.

The postmodern idea of the subjectivity of truth can be seen in the Fluxus incorporation of personal experience and everyday objects into their art. The idea of artistic expression first emerged from the Renaissance period in Europe; at that point in history, who created the art began to have importance. From that perspective, it seems only natural that a progression to personal expression would occur.

Works cited:
Meggs, Philip B.; Purvis, Alston W. Meggs' History of Graphic Design. John Wiley and Sons. 2011. Kindle Edition.
http://www.fluxus.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluxus
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1345511/Fluxus

Citations:
1. http://www.artlex.com/ArtLex/f/fluxus.html