Fluxus Fuxus
The following was first published in 1979 in:
Horizons: The Poetics and Theory of the Intermedia
A Child's History of Fluxus
Dick Higgins
Dick Higgins
Long long ago, back when the world was young - that is, sometime around the year 1958 - a lot of artists and composers and other people who wanted to do beautiful things began to look at the world around them in a new way (for them).
They said: "Hey! - coffee cups can be more beautiful than fancy sculptures. A kiss in the morning can be more dramatic than a drama by Mr. Fancypants. The sloshing of my foot in my wet boot sounds more beautiful than fancy organ music."
And when they saw that, it turned their minds on. And they began to ask questions. One question was: "Why does everything I see that's beautiful like cups and kisses and sloshing feet have to be made into just a part of something fancier and bigger? Why can't I just use it for its own sake?"
When they asked questions like that, they were inventing Fluxus; but this they didn't know yet, because Fluxus was like a baby whose mother and father couldn't agree on what to call it - they knew it was there, but it didn't have a name.
Well, these people were scattered all over the world. In America there were George (George Brecht) and Dick (Dick Higgins) and La Monte (La Monte Young) and Jackson (Jackson MacLow) and plenty of others. In Germany there were Wolf (Wolf Vostell) and Ben and Emmett (Ben Patterson and Emmett Williams) who were visiting there from America, and there was another visitor in Germany too from a very little country on the other side of the world, from Korea - his name was Nam June Paik. Oh there were more too, there and in other countries also. They did "concerts" of everyday living; and they gave exhibitions of what they found, where they shared the things that they liked best with whoever would come. Everything was itself, it wasn't part of something bigger and fancier. And the fancy people didn't like this, because it was all cheap and simple, and nobody could make much money out of it.
(READ THE REST OF THE STORY...click link below)
Letters to the Muse - Episode #2
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| BLaCK MiRRoR |
3-20-2011
Dearest Muse-So here I am tripping my ball's off in Possum Kingdom. Eye drove about 309.67584 miles west; then specifically 5.7564 miles north to the lake. Eye had to ask around, it is so hard to type communications to you at this point. I am sitting on top of a hill, fire going and I am lit up on the inside. I came out here to right, to get right, and to write about it all. Things just haven't been right so much lately. The will just releases itself unto the most beautiful experience, it is all some sort of metaphysics, all of it. There are waves upon waves. Wind speaking to the wind. Out hear you never really know what time it is, but you also really know what time it is not. It comes through you, it takes over you. All the greats just automatic right. Right.?? At least that's how this story keeps getting told.
I came all the way out this way to bee with you, only because I knew I would bee without you. I mean; I knew that I would find you in the wind. I knew that I would find you in the camps smoke whipping about mine dayglow eye. I know that I would find you in the sounds, all the notions of the night. All creeping about me; and you make me smile. Mine eye smiles from east rise to west you set together a place for us, just shelter away from the annoyances, just a place for us to lie to one another for just awhile, to lay there awhile- just with you. Just with you we would lie; here under this universal sky. And we would begin our dance listening to the external sounds, dancing to this nights call.
These kids round here totally fucking kool. There are all these kids up here while I am peacefully tripping along. This ruckus bunch of kids came round and they began their dance too, and the skies opened up, the walls all came down on to this. Where it is hard to blur the lines between the here and the now is also where the worst interpretations just splatter all of the over the place. But these are the muddlings of the moment; here you are and you are not- you have become the meta experience. Within these meta experiential fractalizations, even the most random of wanderings can become art. Eventually you just look like you are some really weird dude typing away every experience as it is. Every experience as it is will undo any recognizable narration.
Letters to the Muse - Episode #1
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| BLaCK MiRRoR |
Muse-
So this is the first time I have written to you in this way. It has been awhile since you boiled my blood to write. Then was a different time. We were connected in the old ways, flesh and bone. Now only the passing dream catches young men's eye. Some of us are past the wisdom of the young; only our heart remembers the song...but we still continue the march towards this empty. Sometimes there is nothing else two do. Maybee that is why eye heard your name whispered on the tongues of the in know. Whilst beers and shots cross o=ver the bound swirling into the dance of collective numbing rituals... your tale was spoken. Eye didn't hear much mind you; but always remember eye have scouts strategic about. Inn this dream you are still right here betwixt us all.
Apparently you are all still in flame. Fiery Goddess writhing and sharp. When do you think all this might settle and kool towards more chance encounter. It was you that visited me in my waking thoughts. Eye so believed the curse was benign; that eye had thwarted the serpent's kiss, but still soon your poison engulfs my vision...and eye sea your face and hair tossed unto the wind. The dark scrawl was still upon your brow, but at the time I thought it an invitation. For luck and maybee a bit of foresight, eye did not act upon my first inclination. Deep inside eye still seek your connection, whether it be false or filled with the precision of a moments truth...eye still listen for your whisper. Your chants reached mine ears this morn, but your trap was eye NOT snared. Within the reflection of this mirror becomes the grove of thorn. Eye shall walk around it and converse with you on the other side; if you wish.
Often all eye seek is the simple discourse. To share and understand through common fluidity can surely build ones strength. To sit and reflect in purity might stop my hearts beat. It only makes sense this foreign war we wage. Across land and air we traject our worst cause. Surely our game is understood by only the most depraved aspects of our reflection. Our darkness must be met by uncomfortable invitations to parties where we are the entertainment...and later after we leave; we become their joke. They gawk and lurch amongst the most ungrateful crimes, but we also have our punch. Such noble birth and tax bracket hordes often shit out diamonds and nuggets of gold. Of course they try to conceal their excrement, but we were taught to dance the Gypsies clever hand and to distract, deflect, and then pocket the change. Hold in all the gold pieces till out the door and down the way we count up our spoils. Those nights are how eye chose to embrace your silhouette; amongst the cold night we swept away with the kings crowned jewel.
Stay on fire if you like. Eye will go back in time and recall past symmetries; while waiting for you to kool. I will hear of the stories and piece them together into thread barren blankets. Eye shall travel this week. Away eye am stalking a time to disperse and inebriate into invisible colors. There are large parties happening down south, and eye wish to find a golden experience. Eye wish eye could find you there but eye know you are not even real. You are the elusive siren's song. One day eye wish to crash amongst thine shores and claw out mine eyes to the pitch of your call.
Until Then-
BLaCK MiRRoR
Two Eye Map
This particular mapping diagrams a reoccurring day/night dream. It also acts as a visual reference setting intentions towards curse reverse. Our thoughts emulate the scratched record. A reality delay overtakes ones perceptions and blinds the seer. Such dreamlike mantras are embedded within the psychic structure of the seer through the works of a dream walker. The seer must acknowledge, accept, and reflect back these embedded intentions in order to free themselves from the imposed psychic drain.
The WHyTe WiNDoW Manifesto (the short version)
The WHyTe WiNDoW Manifesto:
Rules of Engagement:
- WHyTe WiNDoW is an army.
- WHyTe WiNDoW does not promote, provoke, or take part in actual violence.
- WHyTe WiNDoW only reflects the violence of personal ego and cultural demise.
- WHyTe WiNDoW does not proliferate or endorse text/media/rhetoric that promotes hate speech or physical/mental/sexual abuse of any kind.
- WHyTe WiNDoW is art.
Soldier Guidelines:
- All WHyTe WiNDoW Soldiers must adhere to the five rules of engagement.
- All WHyTe WiNDoW Soldiers must conform to a top down control structure. BLaCK BuRKa is at the top of this control structure. If any WHyTe WiNDoW Soldier changes access codes to any account registered for the use of the WHyTe WiNDoW Army, Then those new access codes MUST be immediately forwarded/submitted to BLaCK BuRKa.
"Self Reverence Never Works Without Leaving Scars"
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| image by: Robert David Reedy 2011 |
This is my self portrait entitled “Self Reverence Never Works Without Leaving Scars”. I decided to create a collage from various images that I have collected. Typically this is the manner in which I prefer to work, for my aesthetics are firmly rooted in the ideals of remix culture. Giving some insight into the individual images that I have chosen to remix for this collage is difficult, though describing the entire image as a whole offers me greater availability with words. The experience of life is about discovery and deterioration. My body is actively moving towards it’s demise, whilst my spirit is constantly grasping for elevated reason toward mystical understanding. This is all opposed by my selfish ego as it attempts to elicit sympathy both internally and externally. Many mystical practices speak of a union of three – mind/ego, body, and spirit. Here I have visually remixed similar philosophic tendencies.
Defining New Media Art
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| +this is/not art+ |
Mark Tribe's "Defining New Media Art" is a compelling read. Of course many might argue that statement, but I am continually being pulled towards the New Media Arts aesthetic. I personally feel that the old models of art making and propagation have become passé and redundant. The art world as we know it is collapsing under it's own self imposed importance. From my naive perspective, it is the New Media artists that have pulled out the foundations of the stagnant and stale art world- paving inlets to new possibilities of human expression.
Artists have always led the vanguard of change. This current digital upheaval is no different than the cultural revolutions of the past. Of course the elements of change have evolved, but it is still the wide eyed artists at play that spur the tide forward. Tribe's introduction to New Media Arts gives historical reference to this current movement and offers a "Who's Who" list of the dominant players.
Check out the videos and links below to further your understanding of this current cultural movement.
This Started It All...
This STARTED it all. Eye randomly bumped into this media genius by way of a blog entitled all we ever wanted (was everything). The star of this vid goes by x0verb0rgx- on his YouTube profile page he lists himself as Nathaniel. Whatever or whoever this fallen star is-BLaCK MiRRoR LOVES him. We here at the BLaCK MiRRoR studios have become obsessed with this artist's video content. His YouTube channel is blown up with 19,284 channel views and 220,418 total uploaded views. This kid is on it...LITERALLY; and we can't get enough.
subscribe to x0verb0rgx's channel
+more of x0verb0rgx's videos below+
Brainstorming Infestructure, Navagation, and Content Direction;
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| image by: RDR 2010 |
THiS iS HoW We Do iT...working the base elements.
BLaCK MiRRoR is attempting to demonstrate experimentally on the material plane the validity of a philosophical view of the Cosmos.
BLaCK MiRRoR Nuerons
BLaCK MiRRoR nuerons in your skull.
Soft wired to belong. (FIND YOUR REFLECTION)
Soft wired to belong. (FIND YOUR REFLECTION)
via Wikipedia: A mirror neuron is a neuron that fires both when an animal acts and when the animal observes the same action performed by another. Thus, the neuron "mirrors" the behavior of the other, as though the observer were itself acting. Such neurons have been directly observed in primate and other species including birds. In humans, brain activity consistent with that of mirror neurons has been found in the premotor cortex, the supplementary motor area, the primary somatosensory cortex and the inferior parietal cortex.
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