I think it’s interesting that a site like Instructables.com doesn’t mention the word ‘fluxus’ in any article. And the only mention of ‘Flux’ is in reference to soldering materials. It’s not like anyone who didn’t study art should know about Fluxus artists. Arguably, they were not that influential outside the artworld, and not that influential during their time. It was only later that Fluxus gained recognition. Arthur Danto, a US art-critic writes about how he had first heard about Fluxus only in 1984.

It came to mind that maybe we were missing some tricks by not digging a bit into even recent art history. I’m not entirely sure how much we ‘owe’ it to the fluxus movement, but I do feel they were working with ideas which are becoming more prevalent today. And their work is an inspiring reference, and good brain-food. Check out this ‘George Maciunas, «Fluxkit», 1964 © George Maciunas- shown on Media Art Net . If you’re into swaps, and mutliples, and mail art you’ll dig fluxus work.

DIY art: Arbitrary gaps between low and high art

The first thing I saw at instructables was LED Throwies linked from Make Magazine. “A way to add color to any ferromagnetic surface in your neighborhood”. I was reminded of conceptual art, and instructions like those at “Do it at E-flux“… I think the only difference between the two sites is their intended audience, and distribution. (See e-flux’s list of art-establishment links like Art Forum, Frieze, Parkett).

This is not paint-by-numbers. Instructions as art was a theme amongst Fluxus conceptual artists. Sometimes these instructions produced physical objects, sometimes they were actions you could perform along or events you could organize with a group. You made the art ‘happen’, it explored the relationship between artists/maker/audience. And for that it is really interesting, especially as makers ourselves… and as we promote others to create their world around them.

Fluxus artists like Joseph Beuys believed everyone was an artist. They explored art of daily life and life as art, and bridged the arbitrary gaps between what was ‘art’ and ‘not art’. They reinterpreted the objects around them; they repurposed. They organized creative ‘happenings’ with ambiguous meanings and purpose. Sound familiar?

It’s like the premonitions of a fluxus world are coming to life. Repurposing, and reinterpreting, spontaneous ‘guerrilla’ creativity… And discovering the meaning and politics of making objects. Some of these ideas are nearly going mainstream (at least in the US) with magazines like Make and Readymade.

The many postcard swaps, ATC (artist trading cards), the multiples at Nervousness, 1000 journals travelling the world, instructions on how to be a guerilla artist…

This thread at Nervousness “ documents a Never Ending RAOK (Random act of kindness). It was started in 2003, and is still going strong at 171 pages as of today. Fluxus artist George Maciunas a Lithuanian artist who produced art through the mail, might have enjoyed this technology very much. He would be proud.

I think that because these things are outside of the mainstream art-establishment, this would have appealed very much to fluxus artists like Joseph Beuys.

Fluxus art may have looked ephemeral; mail art, multiples, printed instructions… They did not focus on the finery of fine art, and perhaps their work may not appeal to the craftsperson inside of you. It might appeal to the dreamer in you, and the one who is trying to bridge the gap between life and art.

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