Fluxus...

                   

I really enjoyed enjoyed learning about FLUXUS. The movement appeals to me because so much of my experience of art has been contained in preconceived artistic boundaries. My paintings were one thing, and my writing was another, the two were separate. Very rarely have I collaborated with other artists to create something bigger than my own ideas. As I get older I realize that this attitude will only hinder me. I’ve always felt my work must be epic,larger than life and have some grand earth shattering meaning. I can see now that much of that attitude is ego driven. That’s why Fluxus appeals to me so much. I really like the simple philosophy behind the movement.The Fluxus artistic philosophy can be expressed as a synthesis of four key factors that define the majority of Fluxus work:

*Fluxus is an attitude. It is not a movement or a style.

*Fluxus is intermedia. Fluxus creators like to see what happens when different media intersect. They use found and everyday objects, sounds, images, and texts to create new combinations of objects, sounds, images, and texts.

*Fluxus works are simple. The art is small, the texts are short, and the performances are brief.

   *Fluxus is fun.

Humour has always been an important element in Fluxus. I like the fact that the fluxus artist were seen as pranksters. I don’t really think that John Cage, George Maciunus or yoko Ono really lost much sleep over being misunderstood. The fact that the artists were all so strong in their identities as individuals made it possible for them to make such an impact as a collective. Like Dada before it, The Fluxus movement was not dependant on the support of the market driven art world to validate them. As an artist I think we sometime loose this quality. I have to ask myself why do I make art? Is it because I want a paycheck? Well, yes, you gotta eat and have a roof over your head. But it is also because I like being around other people who enjoy making art. I enjoy being around others who just have to make stuff and really don’t care if we are understood.  I think that is why I’m so attracted to the atmosphere here at MICA. It is the community. Fluxus is all about community and having fun. Isn’t that what life is all about anyway.