Fluxus 1
Not on view
Fluxus 1 is an unconventional book designed and conceptualized by George Maciunas in collaboration with over fifteen other artists associated with Fluxus, an international network founded in 1961–62. Each artist is represented by one or more pages on which they printed their specific contribution, including essays, short stories, photographs, pieces of origami, scores, puzzles, games, concrete poetry, drawings, loops of typewriter ribbon, documentation of earlier performances, and other miscellany. Viewers are meant to engage actively with the contents of the book, which are variously conceptual, absurd, funny, and abstract in nature. Fluxus 1 exemplifies many of the founding principles of Fluxus—from collaboration, viewer participation, and de-skilling to inter-disciplanarity, everyday life, and unconventional systems of distribution. It is the first of approximately seven "yearboxes" or collective anthologies that Maciunas planned to release (only two were actually published). From the very beginning, editions and multiples played a central role in Fluxus activity. While some were created by single artists, most were produced collaboratively, such as Fluxus 1. In order to reach as wide and diverse an audience, such works prioritized portability and affordability. The box created to house Fluxus 1, for instance, doubled as a mailing carton.
