Fluxus

The Fluxus movement, which is like the 20th century Dada movement, consisted of a group of artists revolutionizing the concept of art. The meaning of "Fluxus" seemed strange because it does not have one set definition, and it did more than just one thing. It's connection and dedication to life and looking at life is thought-provoking. Examples of the movement, such as Allan Kaprow's Happenings from 1958-60's changed the meaning of art in such a way by looking at its outlook on life. The art events he hosted, uniquely distinct from traditional gallery events, included active audience participation that varied each time. In the video we learned about the one who started this revolution- George Maciunas. The concept of Fluxus in relation to challenging people through various art events, non-rehearsed, was definitely idiosyncratic. Their revolutionary movement was clever in thought, trying to break the stereotypes to do something different, in order to "purge the world of burgeouis and tradition for all people." It was inspiring to know they supported beliefs that anyone can do art by "curing people of stereotypes." They created things called "Flux Medicine," which I thought was kinda funny. A lot of Fluxus events made people laugh and have fun. The Fluxus influence of playful experimentation influenced the development of sound art, commerical art, and text play which revolutionizes how people use art today for productiveness in society. Not only did it influence art as being interactive, but it opened the mind of many people and after watching the documentary, I myself recognize that art is almost everywhere and anything. Apparently walking through a door is considered an art, or the dripping of water from the sink is art. Strange sounds such as blowing, spitting, screaming, crying, were all art. Although I do not find most of the Fluxus art aesthetically pleasing, it is more intriguing that the Fluxus philosophy played an important role in appreciating life around us. Sadly, the movement slowly dwindled down when George Maciunas died of pancreatic cancer in 1978. His huge influence in pioneering artistic concepts and catalyzing new ideas really challenged his public and views on art- and he had a lot of fun in his life doing so. I loved how he emphasized that Fluxus was not just a movement, but a way of life. Even though George Maciunas passed away, Fluxus will always live on, and he left his philosophical ideas with us. We are always in fluxus, always changing. We are always going to be challenging, expressive, and have new ideas that connect with our life.