Hannah Higgins Chapter 3

I was under the impression after the first chapter, that the discussion of more modern works such as Fluxus might return to a somewhat sane practice of artistic expression, however it is evident that I was mistaken. The Fluxus movement remains completely unorthodox and to what many would describe as abnormal, however this time it includes actions of wrapping people in tin foil and driving them around and depositing them in Grand Central Station, and on the following day they are hung inverted in trees with a muslin bag covering them. This so-called art seems to be more like a public prank on the entirety of the surrounding populace and on the traditional members of the art appreciating community.

Fluxus

The concept of Fluxus art is completely new to me. Reading Higgins’ chapter from Fluxus Experience opened me up to a form of art I had never even heard of. After looking a little further into this art form, I realized the growing popularity of this movement and people’s dedication to Fluxus. The piece entitled Flickers Higgins described was incredibly fascinating. As art is generally perceived by sight, the artist tested its audience’s physical sight. Fluxus artists seem to use the limitations of our senses against us, forcing us to really become involved in the piece rather than just looking at it.

Fluxus

The Fluxus group I found was rather interesting. Creating art the way they did showed the uniqueness in the art. It was interesting to see how art was created through testing an individual’s visual perception not on the outside but rather on the side with the optical nerves. Also, I found interesting that Fluxus artists create the work but the audience completes the work as mentioned by Higgins. It seems as though the Fluxus group does a lot of art that pertains to how it is perceived through the visual sense, but as Higgins also points out, “Fluxux works are made to be seen, as in Fluxpost (Smiles), they are often also intended to be felt” (31). This form of art definitely proves itself to be anti-art and jabs at the ideas and seriousness that modern art portrayed itself to be.

Fluxus

Fluxus combines life and art. Hannah Higgins describes some of the works from the Fluxus period that exhibit this quality. For instance, the films such as Blink force the physical eye to become exhausted. This type of art forces its way into life, making it hard to separate the two. Because the eye cannot fight against this reaction, it involuntarily becomes part of the piece. Fluxus emphasizes the sensory involvement in experiencing art.

Fluxus finger boxes show the use of tactile perception by forcing the viewer to trust that the contents inside the box are not harmful. By putting your finger in the mystery of the box, you have the life experience of surprise. Shadow boxes made in the Fluxus period collect things from life and organize them in a way that involves the part of the viewer that is attached to the everyday.

Fluxus

I was very enlightened after reading Fluxus by Hannah Higgins. Before today I never knew what Fluxus was nor have I even heard the term before. It apparently has made a dent in peoples’ views on art and I’m surprised so many of us have never come across it. After reading the first couple of pages, I had to look up a video because I really wanted to see how fluxfilms create this optical experience Higgins talks about. With just a couple of clips, I can see how the eyes grow fatigued… it’s hard to keep up with all the flashing blobs. It reminds me a lot of being in a car or on a train and passing by trees and other slim objects (which is apparently where Brion Gysin came up with this). If you just look at a tree only as you pass it, it looks less like a tree and more like a blob. Usually, this makes me very dizzy and fatigued because there’s no way my eyes and mind can keep up with the pace of the objects we zoom past. I also found the fluxkits interesting and I would love to see one in person. It’s different, to me, how fluxus art redefines “specialness." Fluxus is very special and it is so intriguing how it gives new meaning to what we “see” because of its combination of the visual and the optical.

Fluxus

I like the idea of seeing as a subjective, physical exercise with limitations. The eye can only see so much, in fact very little considering the entire electromagnetic spectrum. I like it because it accounts for the variability of perspective and reality. It does not attempt to restrict a grey world with black and white borders. Of course, the perfect irony here is that Flicker accomplishes its goal using black and white frames. While reading the article I couldn't help but be reminded of Bejamin's piece on mechanical reproduction.

Fluxus

This week we are reading part for the book Fluxus Experience by Hannah Higgins. I was interested to read this because I did not know what fluxus even meant before reading this. I was a bit confused at first when I read this but then got into the flow of things. I liked that while reading this it made me think about different art that i have seen before and how i could look at it differently. I really like the idea of the fluxus because it makes the experience of seeing art more enjoyable. I feel like this is more of my kind of art and way of thinking through a lot of things because it lets my mind go and experience different things than if it were more structured. I am interested in seeing what we are going to talk about and do on Monday after reading this because I really liked this idea of a sort of unconventional art.