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Reading Guide for Robinson’sMaciunas as Producer: Performative Design In the Art of the 1960sOverall note: Don’t worry about specific theorists try to focus on the big ideas? George Maciunas helped create an art movement known as Fluxus?FYI: an impresario according to the Onlyne Etymology Dictionary that Gina gave us is: a " manager," or "undertaker (of a business)," from impresa "undertaking," fem. of impreso, pp. of imprendere "undertake," from V.L. imprendere, from assimilated form of in- “into, in, on, onto” (see in- (2)) + prehendere "to grasp"?Fancy way of saying he was the lead-person in a clique.?He had a strong personality and it is difficult to define both the movement and the individual?He started out as a graphic designer and wanted more political clout—Poggenpohl and Ahn want to rename graphic design as Visual Communication Design—remember their manifesto???He wrote in a lot of different genres?Posters, flyers, labels, calendars, newsletters, concert plans? Hybrid “Authorial” ModelRobinson uses this phrase to describe the work the Maciunas did. She goes on to state that this ‘authorial’ mode “suspends the term artist or reveals it to be irrelevant. Put more simply it means that Maciunas was a very versatile thinker and writer! {This “authorial model” is what I am trying to help you discover in yourself.}?Fluxus, as an idea, was to Maciunas an historically urgent role—remember the idea that a manifesto is composed of three main beliefs according to your other article by Poggenpohl and Ahn—one of which is TIMING.?ProductionMaciunas, as a graphic designer, was all about framing the means of production of “art” by artists. He didn’t want fancy stuff; he wanted political change through art.?Representation & Reception?Maciunas sought a certain kind of attention and identification for himself and the group of artists that he worked with?Some of them didn’t like it—particularly the leftist stuff?Maciunas was one person in a whole group, but since he was the leader in some ways he got to call the shots—some of which stuck to the movement as a whole?Socialization?Fluxus objectives (and objects) are supposed to be social (not aesthetic){Aesthetic in this context means "art for art's sake" that has no significant social or political implications for ordinary folks.}?Fluxus movement also included concerts by “out there” artists?Activity? “writing…designates exactly what linguists…call a performative…act” (Robinson 60).This means that “writing” isn’t just words on a page—it is more than that. It includes saying stuff, gesturing at something, indicating some kind of meaning through communication, thinking, stating, creating meaning etc…?Although historical shifts happen, there is always certain performativity in the act of writing.?Fluxus takes “performance” to a new political level to advocate for the “little guy”?Ecology?Fluxus concerts occurred in Dusseldorf, Copenhagen, and Paris. ?These concerts began to influence the overall Fluxus identity. ?Maciunas took this an ran with it and named it Festum Fluxorum—in English, Fluxus Festival. ?This morphed into the 1963 Fluxus Manifest that he wrote. It was distributed on a large scale at the Dusseldorf concert.?Recycled or reappropriated materialsBig IDEA in One Year TimespanFluxus went from an idea to affirming a particular kind of politics associated with a group of artists1963 Manifesto AnalysisOn page 69, Robinson takes a close look at how the 1963 piece was made. In other words she is analyzing the process and the product. She is doing a very close reading of the words, the work, and the context. She looks at how he uses language in his manifesto to achieve the effects he desired.Fluxus Production Section p.73?Maciunas moves to New York?Starts to develop a “brand” for artists?Carefully constructed designs and use of existing materials?He was in effect a “producer” {remember the meaning of that word from Sturken and Cartwright reading???} Perfomative Design Section p. 75?Important idea?Maciunas confused codes of art and the commodity—the idea of the first being: “fancy” and the second is “for sale”?”The work submitted by Fluxus artist consisted largelyof ideas, games, events, or actions…” (75)?Fluxus was humble stuff with a political message?Ay-O’s Finger Box?People like to touch stuff ? different items were placed in identical boxes for different tactile effects?Maciunas “pimped” it up so the production included marketing tactics and art at the same time?”The pathos {remember that word?? Means emotional appeal} aspect of the finger box indicates that people get replaced by, or turned into, objects.Revolutionary Design p. 76The idea here is that what you write has social and political implications if you do a good job of thinking about what you want to do—like Maciunas did.?”The careful analysis of all these examples asks the reader to consider, and even learn to identify, efficient, and egalitarian design and production procedures” (76).?Factory like production, but self-styled “images”?Radically revised author role and art to codes of mass production can still mean choice ................
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