Hi Eryk and all,
>
The list has unfortunately degenerated since discussion of
fluxus history has lost its focus: ironically, I was one of the
main champions for a return to the creation of modern work
rather than academic discussion of the past. <
I don't think the list has degenerated it's just different. It's different
from when I joined almost 2 years ago and from looking at the archives it's
very different to the list that Dick, Ken, Allen, Jon, Joe began in 1996.
>What I longed
for was a serious discussion of new work on the level of the
old; which Ken did not manage to do very well (old work
and new work were rigidly separated, and no bridge was
drawn between the two, in any sort of interesting manner.)<
Well in many ways this wasn't going to happen because I don't think that any
of the original Fluxus people with the exception of Ken see Fluxus as a
continuing phenomenon and Ken seemed to get a lot of hassle for this view
so who can blame him for keeping old and new Fluxus work separate to a
degree. To be honest I'm amazed at Ken's patience, I don't think the list
now is what he wanted it to be but I think more importantly no-one wants to
be part of a forum where they've become a target for attack. Eric Andersen
keeps talking about censorship but we've never censored any of his posts,
maybe we should have? .....I don't know really, I don't think that Eric is
the only factor in Ken's departure although I would assume that Eric's
nuisance value contributed. In many ways the list could do with more
depth..that's what Ken kept pushing for and was probably disappointed not to
achieve. In fact when you consider the number of Fluxus Scholars on this
list it's quite amazing how few of them ever post anything. Obviously
they're very busy but....the people who post plenty and keep the list going
dialoguewise aren't the experts but they are very quick to respond to others
and share what knowledge or opinions they have and that's wonderful and
makes the list an entertaining place to be.
>Meanwhile, however, the list is now merely production with
very little conceptual juice. No offense pals. I like that its a
beehive, I just wish we'd take the honey a little more seriously.<
You're right Eryk, we should take the honey more seriously but we need to
work on it. Fluxlist has gone through many changes and is still evolving I
think. I don't think it's found itself yet but it's getting there. In many
ways I think Fluxlist is important because it is looking at what will happen
to Fluxus in this century..even if it doesn't know it..its very existence is
such. Sure, Eric Andersen and probably a few other Fluxus people d not take
the list seriously but a lot do....this list is the Fluxus dialogue presence
on the Internet in the same way that Allen's fluxus.org is the internet's
Fluxus portal...this is a new medium and there is much to be done. Hopefully
as many people as possible will pull together to do it. We must however
remain focused and think about why we're here....both as friends across the
ether and as Fluxus researchers and explorers...in each thing we do inspired
by Fluxus we learn something or have an experience which we should
consciously add to the existing body of Fluxus knowledge in order to provide
new ways of seeing.
cheers,
Sol.
