Dear Ray,
Secret Fluxus had a short dinner meeting last night in the intervals between different holiday schedules.
I had a chance to collect our email before the meeting, and I�ll respond to the questions that have popped up over the past week.
We�ve been thinking about the comments on our style that Allan Revich wrote. We developed this in relation to the issue of anonymity, and we are working our way toward a new approach. I�m not sure what kind of style we ought to have. Some of us are more formal than others. We have a way to deal with this challenge while remaining anonymous.
We have decided to use artist names, the artist equivalent of an author�s nom de plume. In this way, we can each develop a personality and style that suits us while remaining anonymous to anyone outside the group. This may not be an entirely satisfactory solution, but we think it will allow us some new approaches.
We don�t yet have our new names, so I�ll be signing this as The Man Without a Name. Once we decide how to approach the issue, those of us who wish to seek a new style will be free to do so. We also agreed that the ability to sign as an individual will permit us to write to others by name. This, in itself, will change the tone of our correspondence.
And now, the answers to your questions
The first question is difficult to answer. What is our location? Where do we believe that Fluxus is located? Please give us time to think this through.
The second question is easy for us to answer. We don�t feel constrained by Fluxus or by the rules we have created for our work together. We are free to do what we will. Any one of us is free to establish his or her own rules or conditions for anything he or she may do outside the group. We are free to change our group rules whenever we wish.
We haven�t really given much thought to the ways in which Fluxus may or may not be related to theology. Ken Friedman once intended a career in the Unitarian ministry. We have passed your question on to him. Perhaps his answer will help us to think the matter though.
It is easy to answer the question on Thomas Kincaid. We�re not going to see the Kincaid exhibition. Kincaid may interest someone. He doesn�t interest us.
Sincerely,
The Man Without a Name
Re: FLUXLIST: Position on the State of Fluxus
Date: Mon, 05 Jul 2004 01:04:30 +1000 From: Ray Noman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: FLUXLIST: Position on the State of Fluxus
I�m finding this evolving dialogue with "Secret Fluxus" quite fascinating and there seems to be a tension between the US & UK speakers/writers to do with appropriate forms of language, it�s <FLUXUSintegrity> etc. There is a question I wonder about in relation to the group! I wonder if the the group has addressed the issue of their ( I suppose it is really it�s rather that their) placedness. Like do they collectively or individually see themselves as global citizen? British? Londoners? What? Is it an issue that has any importance to them? And further to that, where do they imagine/understand FLUXUS to be placed/located? Or indeed, where do others on the list think FLUXUS is located in a contemporary context?
Ray _from way out on the edge eMail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (when the server�s up)
Date: Thu, 08 Jul 2004 21:53:30 +1000 From: Ray Noman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: FLUXLIST: A living, breathing, and constantly evolving entity
Secret Fluxus,
Perhaps you should be aware that your group isn�t the only �secret fluxus� group in operation right now. There is, out here at the edge, <sFt> <sectretFLUXUStrevallyn> that in a way is a kind of <ZENzing> group/chapter/auxiliary as well. In any event <sFt> was inspired by your group albeit that it�s reasons for electing to be �secret� are quite different as there is a <FLUXUStrevallyn> that is open and upfront about what it does/they do, together. I�ve been relaying selected FLUXLIST postings to a group of colleagues/friends/associates for sometime and as a result two informal groups have somewhat spontaneously �congealed� with quite different alliances albeit that all are known to each other � as visual artists, designers, teachers, youth workers, restaurateurs, musicians, academics, bureaucrats et al - It�s more the authorship of their actions that�s secret than the membership.
To cut to the chase <sFt> (btw this is the new �tag� the group has adopted) has opted to operate as a kind of mild cultural gorilla action group producing <FLUXUSlike> �works� at a very local level. It would be true to say that this group/alliance was inspired by the possibilities FLUXUS opened up for them in a very local context. They elected to go with FLUXUS identification in honour of their inspiration but have resolved not to be constrained by it. While I am not directly a part of the group _ <sFt> _ I
have facilitated putting some of their stuff out there when asked. While <FLUXUStrevallyn> shared some membership for a while it is transmogrifying into something quite distinct, and local, and in ways that may mean that as a group it may well drop the <FLUXUStag> albeit FLUXUS is ever likely to be
an important inspiration - it may even delaminate into simply a network of cooperating individuals. There is a state of FLUX in operation.
I say all this to put this question that has been a subject of discussion in the group(s) for a while into some kind of context. And, if it was answered from Secret Fluxus�s position it would be quite interesting for most in the group.
Has Secret Fluxus ever considered its position as being one related to theology? And here �theology� should be understood in its broadest context.
I expect that you may not find the question relevant to you in any way but that would be as interesting as any position you individually or the group/collective may have adopted.
Ray _4 <sFt> & <Ft> & myself =AD from way out here on the edge eMail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Date: Fri, 09 Jul 2004 14:24:41 +1000 From: Ray Noman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: <NEWSflash> FLUXLIST: For Kincaid fans
Channel 4 has just run a news item on THOMAS KINKADE (albeit a bit tongue in cheek, John Snow the presenter is very droll), and guess what? There�s this guy in London who�s opened up 5 galleries selling exclusively Kinkade merchandise, and he�s about to open another two, AND.......HE�S A SCOT!!!!
Perhaps Secret Fluxus. or someone, could go and check them out for us al and report back after they�ve met in a restaurant and worked some butter and eggs while wearing a kilt.
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