Re: FLUXLIST: GIVING A RATS ASS>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

[Ray Norman]

Title: Re: FLUXLIST: GIVING A RATS ASS>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

OK so I’ll stick my neck out and have a shot at this … The thread that is evolving here grows out of, and speaks almost entirely from, one aspect of a cultural sensibility (reality?)– for the sake of convenience let’s call it ‘FWWC’ (First World Western Culture).

And even then it speaks from within a somewhat marginal subset of the main stream cultural reality(ies?) in which the various writers exist, and function, within.

So there is ever likely to be, it seems to me, multiple, and perhaps shared, connections to an idea and a culturally determined idea (cultural phenomena?) called “Fluxus”. Thus “Fluxus”, as an idea, essentially belongs to, and within, a somewhat distinct (narrow?) cultural sensibility.

Nonetheless, it is an idea that emits a kind of ‘cultural white noise’ that has pervasive influences upon other aspects of that overarching set of cultural sensibilities that evidence themselves in this thread –exchange of views?. BUT it’s culturally determined.

When it comes to “not giving a rat’s ass”, well, that’s happening all the time in cultural realities where FWWC doesn’t matter one tiny bit. And, that’s anywhere where FWWC doesn’t underpin most of the decisions people need to make all the time in order to make sense of what they are dealing with.

So in the end the “Fluxus Idea” means a lot to very few, something to a few more and almost nothing the a great many, which for my money is how it should be for all ‘cultural ideas’ if they are to retain their meaning.

Ray ... from way out here at the <WORLDSedge> and the home of <ZENzing>


Cecil Touchon wrote:

From: Cecil Touchon <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Fri May 20, 2005  1:49:03 PM Australia/Melbourne
To: FLUXLIST@scribble.com
Subject: Re: FLUXLIST: RE: THE RATS ASS
Reply-To: FLUXLIST@scribble.com

Fluxus is the only actual group that can be identified with conceptual art over the duration of the last 40 years. They did not invent it nor were they the only ones doing it they are just merely the historically viable group that can be identified with conceptual art. So I am not sure that they need to be specifically recognized with any more than holding the name fluxus aloft and identifying it with concept art they were a handful among thousands of artists working the same? field me included. I have been doing some version of it for 30 years now! For that yes, it is cool and for that we should continue with a flux tradition just because it is the only viable group name and why reinvent the wheel? (except for fun of course)


Allan Revich wrote:

On Giving a Rats Ass:
?
It is an interesting problem, and one that we will probably continue to grapple with.
I believe that Fluxus owes its existence to the first generation Fluxus group.
I think that what that group started continues to exist independently of them.
Like Crispin, I think we should honour the efforts of the first Fluxus group.
Like Madawg, I don't think that we should worry about whether or not the remaining members of the first Fluxus group approve of our activities.

Allan Revich
------------
The Fluxus Blog
http://www.digitalsalon.com/weblog/

?
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Thursday, May 19, 2005 3:44 PM
To: FLUXLIST@scribble.com
Subject: Re: FLUXLIST: GIVING A RATS ASS>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>


In a message dated 5/18/05 5:37:13 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:


I GIVE A RATS ASS>>>
about the old fluxus people what about don
talk about someone from the old days of fluxus..
he has been at it for like 30 years..
history is important.. where would we be without it..
marinetti.. wanted us to burn the librarys i would be upset]
if that had happened i use the library very very often //



didn't mean to bite- I kind of give a rat's ass in that I do look back to see what happened before for some type of context. But Fluxus is a deal where you either get it or you don't. If you get it your work is automatically Fluxus because your work reflects you. To say that one is into Fluxus but doesn't do Fluxus work would seem to me impossible. In the same way artists get rejected their whole lives yet they continue to do their work-it's impossible to hide who you are in your work. Art's spiritual properties lie in this fact. Fluxus is MINE now it has little to do with Yoko or Joseph or Don. by Madawg