Heiko's thoughts on pre-Fluxus Fluxus remind me that I always wondered what
contact if any was made between artists that would become part of Fluxus and
the Gutai Group in Japan.
Any thoughts/ info from you all would be much appreciated. Of course I'm
sure I've read something somewhere on this but to be honest I often find
myself forgetting various connections. Some things really stick in my head
and others just fly away.
Things that stick in my head: 1 Thought.
On Al Hansen, when he attended Cage's class he was the only one to have
absolutely no musical experience.......couldn't read music, couldn't play
anything.....Cage was apparently really pleased. I liked this story because
I often like to attempt to play instruments I have never played. A few weeks
ago I had my first ever go on a clarinet....I got this horrible squeaking
noise out of it which I didn't mind but was apparently quite unpleasant for
those listening. However I often find sounds interesting in this way...in
one sense I actually played the clarinet causing it to produce sound...in
another sense I couldn't play it because I didn't manage to produce the
sounds normally associated with that instrument. The key question of course
is what is it to play an instrument?...I often feel that the manipulation of
any object to produce a sound over which you have some degree of control is
playing an instrument.
Anyway, it's lunchtime, more after lunch? perhaps
cheers,
Sol.
