Week 11: Networks and Relationships- Receivable Texts

                In reading the article by McLuhan, I thought that the concept of receivable texts was interesting as it seems to portray what the Fluxus movement was all about in that a network of artists came together through an informal way and thus created different forms and pieces of art. This idea of receivable texts is described in the article by McLuhan as it discusses the concept according to Roland Barthes in that “this text, guided, armed by a notion of the unpublishable, would require the following response: I can neither read nor write what you produce, but I receive it, like a fire, a drug, an enigmatic disorganization” (McLuhan 3). This definition of the concept is interesting to me as it seems to imply that the idea of receivable texts is very different and unique as it does not involve a formal way of making and producing art which in turn makes it seem unconventional. Despite this though, Barthes alludes to the idea that even though these texts that were produced were often very difficult to understand and read, they essentially consumed artists when they received them. With this, this idea of fascination with these receivable texts leads me to believe that although this concept seems to not have been intentional, it was very popular among a network of specific artists at the time.

In further reading about this concept of receivable texts and what it entailed, I found myself beginning to see direct influences of the Fluxus movement within it. These influences became apparent as I learned that these receivable texts were essentially an intimate relationship that ultimately arose from the formation of a network of relationships among many participants that sent and received these texts in the mail (McLuhan 4). Considering these texts were passed around through a network of artists, I believe this portrays one of the beliefs of the Fluxus movement in that collaboration among artists is better than one’s own individualism. From this, it appears that this concept of receivable texts consisted of the fact that these texts were produced for and circulated among only the participants of a specific network as they were passed from one person to another person in the mail. This concept is interesting to me because this close network of different artists that shared these texts together seems to reflect the attitude of Fluxus even more as having this collaborative method seems to allow each individual artist to focus on their own imagination and creativity. Each artist seems to be able to focus on these two aspects due to the fact that when they would receive the specific text in the mail, it is likely that they could then do whatever they wanted to with it. Furthermore, because these texts were often very difficult to understand and interpret according to Barthes, I believe that this allowed each artist to essentially perceive the text in any way they’d like which seems to ultimately force one to dive into their creativity and imagination even more.  

After reading the article even more, it was also interesting to learn that this network of participants was tied together not only as a result of the desire to make and send these texts to one another but also because many of the artists’ attitudes and perceptions mimicked one another. For example, the article says that these receivable texts all reflected a militant attitude towards mercantile constraints of publication for which is expressed by almost all of the multiple senders of these texts (McLuhan 4). This is interesting as these attitudes seem to reflect the overall sentiment of the Fluxus movement even more in that it is crucial that an artist’s creativity is not held back by the constraints of society as this ultimately limits one’s imagination and creativity. In thinking about the fact that these receivable texts reflected negative attitudes towards the constraints of mainstream publication and art forms, I believe these perceptions allude to the idea that these artists may have shared the belief that these receivable texts were essentially created in order to be substantially different from the mainstream forms and works of art. This idea is further apparent through the article’s mentioning of how these receivable texts created intense, intimate situations rather than the polite and pleasurable feeling one would normally get from reading something such as a magazine (McLuhan 4). With this, it seems as if these receivable texts contradicted the cultural standards of publication and rather took a different approach in which the artists shifted the tone and images of society. This shifting of tone and different images of society was depicted through the fact that the article says that these artists often used ironic satire, parody and inside jokes. I believe that the fact that these artists created these receivable texts for which incorporated parodies of mass-media images and concepts of society further alludes to the idea that they were contradicting and in a way mocking mainstream publication. Through all of this, this concept of receivable texts ultimately depicts and highlights the idea of Fluxus in that collaboration among a network of artists essentially allows individualism to overtake cultural conformities and constraints which ultimately results in creativity and new forms of art.

Week 10: Sons & Daughters of Dada- Fluxus 1

 One idea I came across in the article Fluxus Experience by Higgins for which seems very interesting was the creation made from combining artwork from different artists entitled Fluxus 1. I learned that Fluxus 1 was essentially a yearbook because it contained unique contexts of art as it included texts and objects by various artists that were associated with the first Fluxfestival (moma.org). Some of the artists included were Ay-O, Brecht, Stanley Brown, Robert Filliou, Ken Friedman, Geoff Hendricks, Higgins, Takehisa Kosugi, Jackson MacLow, Takako Saito, Tomas Schmit and Ben and Emmett Williams (moma.org). Fluxus 1 was a book that consisted of a number of envelopes bound together by metal bolts as each contained a printed work or art form from one single artist. It is interesting that the whole book was contained in a wooden case which was used, in part, to facilitate sending the work of these artists by mail. Because of this, a number of copies have the actual recipient's address written directly on the cover (Fluxus 1). I find this very interesting because it ultimately shows the collaborative technique these different Fluxus artists used as they all came together and relied on mail in order to send in all of their own and unique forms of art. This collaborative technique essentially highlights the Fluxus "do-it-yourself" aesthetic for which valued individualism over cultural beliefs and simplicity over complexity. This simplicity over complexity concept is especially exemplified in this book of art as many of the different art forms that were created and included by individual Fluxus artists show the use of simple objects and items for which ultimately resulted in very different, unique and perhaps even strange forms of art.

In further exploring Fluxus 1, I learned that this unique publication of collections of object-based works by different Fluxus artists ultimately resulted from George Macinuas as he essentially created and designed it. Fluxus 1 or also called a Fluxkit, contains objects, visual work, and essays by thirty-nine artists all of whom were not necessarily defined by social integration or friendships with the group (Higgins 14). It is said that Fluxus 1 was “Maciunas' first attempt at creating a coherent collective voice, an attempt to erode the artist's status as heroic individual and his first attempt to communicate the concept of self-sufficiency to the audience, an art where anything can substitute for an art work and anyone can produce it” (Fluxus 1). This idea is completely depicted in Fluxus 1 through the use of various items and objects such as songs, a napkin, a medical examination glove, photo portraits and visual and sound poems for which all ultimately yield multisensory, primary information (Higgins 14). With having each of these unique and interesting items, it seems as if they only help to exemplify Maciunas’ idea that art comes in various forms in which anyone can create.

These unique objects essentially do portray many of the different forms of art that can be created as for example, having a song with words and melody involves sight, motility and hearing. Having a napkin which is meant to touch the hand and the mouth involves tactility and taste. Having a medical examination glove which has the smell and look of latex involves touch both in and through the glove as well as sight and smell. The photo portraits included ultimately appeal to the eye and involve all of the senses. Lastly, including visual and sound poems that are meant to be read, heard or performed involve the eye, the ear and the body (Higgins 14). From this, it is apparent that all of these simple objects actually portray different forms of art such as taste and sight for which one would normally assume is not art. As mentioned before, the Fluxus movement emphasized the use of simple objects which is apparent here as the unusual use of a napkin and a medical examination glove show new and creative forms of art. This use of simple objects essentially results from the beliefs of the Fluxus movement discussed earlier in that simplicity is more important than complexity. Overall, the Fluxus movement included a strong sense of anti-commercialism as well as an anti-art sensibility which caused it to focus on the artist-centered creative practice rather than the conventional market-driven art world (Fluxus). With this, it is apparent from all of the interesting and unusual objects that were used in Fluxus 1, that the intent of this movement was to essentially erode the cultural status of art as well as help eliminate the artist’s ego through exemplifying the idea that art can come in any form.

In learning what Fluxus 1 was, I think it is necessary to look at a specific example of one of the pieces of art included within it. I thought that the discussion of Finger Boxes by Fluxus artist Ay-O in the article was interesting as it specifically shows the idea of using simple objects as a means for creative art. Although none of the original boxes were included within the Fluxus 1 itself, an envelope version of this art form was included. The article discusses the original Finger Boxes as it says that these boxes contained various tactile elements ranging from nails to sponges, beads to cotton balls and bristle brushes to hair (Higgins 16). With this, the idea behind this particular piece of art was that because the boxes looked identical from the outside, the actual experience with these boxes could only occur from touching the objects inside. Therefore, one would have to insert their finger and explore the objects inside the box through touch as merely looking at them is only experiencing them partially (Higgins 16).  It is interesting that this project emphasized the fact that the index fingertip is the most sensitive organs as it shows that one is essentially relying on only their finger to create the experience with the art. Furthermore, I find it interesting that when one puts their finger in the box, their curiosity overcomes their sense of fear for exploring the unknown. I believe that this is true as the human psyche tends to be lured into the unknown and the uncertainty with things. I believe that this uncertainty that comes with not knowing what is inside the box essentially helps to portray the intentions of the Fluxus movement even more as the objects themselves yield the information and the experience of the art. Also, it is interesting that the Finger Boxes project focuses on the fact that the unknown objects inside should affect the audience communicatively as they are a means to be explored socially (Higgins 16). With this, it says that these Finger Boxes are not meant to be explored in solitude as they are rather intended for multiple users so that the experience can be a social one (Higgins 16). This social experience ultimately goes back to the whole idea of collaboration seen within the Fluxus movement as its aims were centered on the idea that it is necessary to partake in collaborated creation processes that use whatever materials are at hand as this ultimately allows artists to focus on the creativity of art rather than just their own artistic abilities.

Sources Used:

http://www.moma.org/collection/theme.php?theme_id=10457 (moma.org)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluxus (Fluxus)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluxus_1  (Fluxus 1)

Article: Fluxus Experience (Higgins)

Week 9: Restrictions and Obstructions

The Oulipo movement seems to be very different from the Surrealism movement as the ideas and concepts behind it seem to be revolved around creativity and the different ways in which creativity can be fostered through specifically putting constraints on an artist. This movement known as the Ouvroir de literature potentielle which is translated into “workshop of potential literature,” has the goal of creating potential works of art through experimentation as it intentionally places constraints on artists in hopes that this will foster unique and very creative forms of art (WikiOulipo). This idea of literature potential further translates into the seeking of new structures and patterns that can be used by artists in any way they want which only fosters creativity and the use of the imagination even more (WikiOulipo). With this, this unique literature evolves out of these constrained writing techniques that essentially make the writing task at hand more difficult for the artist to accomplish. Even though these constraints often make an artist’s task more difficult, they produce profound outcomes that often yield completely new and interesting works of art. Although it may seem that these writers are setting themselves up for disaster in choosing to be subjected to follow specific constraints, these constraints ultimately act as a means to trigger new ideas and inspirations that may have never been found otherwise. Considering these constraints are often very specific and nonnegotiable, the artists are ultimately forced to dig into and rely on their creative minds to come up with ideas that abide by the specific rules therefore making every piece of work from this movement fascinating and completely unique.

            Unlike the Oulipo movement that centered itself on the idea of using constraints as a means to produce creativity, the Surrealism movement also focused on the idea that it is necessary to dive into one’s imagination to create new art forms but was done through different ideas and concepts. Considering the Surrealism movement was heavily influenced by Marx and Freud, the artists within it hoped that the human psyche had the power to reveal the contradictions of the everyday world as this could foster creative ideas (theartstory). Even though they shared much of the anti-rationalism of the Dada movement, Surrealist artists focused more on the accessing of subconscious thoughts as a means to unite them against issues they felt were plaguing modern society such as war (theartstory). Furthermore, the Surrealist movement focused on exposing the inner worlds of sexuality, violence and desire which often fostered unusual behavior and unusual, taboo forms of art. Unlike the Oulipo movement, the Surrealist artists did not have any specific constraints on them and how they would make art as they seemed to follow the opposite approach in that they believed no constraints should be forced upon them as these constraints would stop them from creating the art they wanted to make. This lack of constraints ultimately gave them the ability to create anything they wanted to which is evident when looking at the bizarre, erotic and untraditional pieces of artwork created during this movement. Ultimately, the Surrealism movement was similar to the Oulipo movement in that its intentions were to use the imagination in order to create very unique and fascinating forms of art. Unlike the Oulipo movement though, this was done without having any constraints placed upon the artists which essentially allowed them to dive into and connect to the subconscious, erotic mind and therefore produced the profound pieces of art we see today.   
            In regards to the idea of maintaining tradition within both of these two movements, it seems as if they are completely different as one seems to completely abandon the idea of tradition whereas the other seems to respect it. In looking at the Surrealist movement, it is obvious that these artists believed that traditional art should be replaced with anything “anti-art” as these artists were fed up with modern society and its ways. This perception fostered the ridiculousness, the absurd and the basic disregard for traditional art form during this movement. This movement disregarded the conscious, formal production of art and instead focused upon the unconscious, informal production of art as it centered on the subconscious mind for inspiration which often resulted in themes that were not seen up until this point such as erotic, sexual behavior, violence and desire (theartstory). On the other hand, when looking at the Oulipo movement, it seems as if these artists were not generally focused upon making art that would contradict the traditional art forms but rather were interested in the idea of how these formal art forms could be changed by placing specific constraints on the artist. It seems as if the artists of this movement were more interested in the many different and creative forms of art that could evolve from putting these constraints and rules on the artists as this seemed more revolutionary to them than contradicting and criticizing the traditional forms of art.
            After having learned about both the Surrealist movement and the Oulipo movement, it is difficult to determine whether or not one was more revolutionary than the other. Considering I have heard about the Surrealist movement many other times before taking this class whereas this is the first time I have heard about the Oulipo movement, it does seem as if the Surrealist movement is more recognized by the public and therefore is well known. I think that because the Surrealist movement for the most part seems to have died down in the past decades whereas traces of the Oulipo movement can still be found today in present society, it seems as if the Oulipo movement may be more lasting in the idea that artists today are still using constraints as a means to make creative and unique forms of art. Although I do not believe that surrealistic aspects do not exist at all, I feel that in today’s society, the ideas that were prevalent during the Surrealism movement have just evolved into greater concepts making it difficult to pinpoint if a particular artist is heavily inspired by this movement alone.
            In learning about the Oulipo movement and how it focuses around the idea to specifically put constraints on an artist in order to make them use their imagination and create unique forms of art, I definitely agree that having these restrictions seem to make it more creatively stimulating for an artist. Before, I had never really thought about what it would be like if there were no constraints put on me for projects or papers as I have become so accustomed to being handed specific guidelines on what I need to do. Now though, when I think about what it would be like if I did not have any constraints or rules, I believe that it would be more difficult for me to create something as thinking of having absolutely no guidelines on what to do is actually pretty scary. I feel that if I was completely free to choose and do whatever I wanted, this would be more frustrating as I believe having constraints essentially makes it easier to create something as these limits tie an artist down to make something specific.
            Finally, after having watched the movie “The Five Obstructions,” the idea that constraints often make it easier for an artist to create art is portrayed. This is obvious through the fact that Jorgen is given specific constraints for each of the different obstructions for which ultimately gives him insight on what he specifically needs to do. When Lars von Trier assigns him one of the obstructions for which has absolutely no constraints or specific rules though, Jorgen seems to freak out and is apprehensive to follow the requests. It is obvious that Jorgen begins to feel even more pressure as having no constraints and guidelines causes him to rely only on his imagination and creativity in hopes that this will help him make something Lars von Trier likes. Even though up until this point Jorgen seemed to be in disbelief by the almost impossible constraints Lars Von Trier assigns to him, it is obvious that when he is given no constraints, creating the obstruction becomes much more difficult to accomplish as up until this point he knew exactly what Lars Von Trier wanted and therefore was able to create obstructions that pleased him.

Sources Used:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oulipo

http://www.theartstory.org/movement-surrealism.htm