Fluxus
concert conducted by the artist: Saturday 3 April, 6 to 9 pm
with Oreet Ashery, Darryl Biggs, Mertxe Cano, Eleanor
Cracknell, Deej Fabyc,
Tim Harrison, Davida Hewlett, James Hollands, Darran Leaf, Isabella Zuhal
Parla, Yann Perreau, Tai Shani and Andrea Winkler
Exhibition runs 4 April to 2 May 2004, Fridays
to Sundays, 1 to 6 pm
at 15 Cottons Gardens, London E2 8DN
What's
the score?
These works by Ken Friedman are designed as scores, which can be seen
as proposal pieces or instructions for actions, performances, enactments
or events. The score notation combines the authority of the artist's intention
while being an Intermedia work that can easily stored and distributed,
as a single A4 paper, for future retrieval and realisation.
Is
the score the work?
In Ken Friedman's practice the work resides in the idea, the score, the
process and the realisation; each has its own value and meaning.
What's
Fluxus?
First, it is a laboratory for ideas and social change. The Fluxus moment
developed in the 60s facilitated initially by Georges Maciunas in New
York and grew to include artists such as Yoko Ono, Joseph Beuys, Ben Vautier,
Milan Knizak, Nam June Paik, Ken Friedman...
What's
a Fluxus concert?
The idea of the Score suggests musicality. Like a musical score, it represents
an individual's mind and intention. Like a score, it can be realised by
artists other than the original creator. And like a score, it is open
to variation in realisation and interpretation.
On
April 3, Ken Friedman conducted the performance of a number of his scores.
These works refer to the concert and vaudeville tradition and to the very
origins of performance art in European Dada.
Why
the Centre of Attention?
The Centre has worked to realise this project with Ken Friedman. It underlines
ideas that the Centre shares with him and Fluxus in a general way. These
include ideas around intimacy, networks and the city; gesture; and the
Fluxus tendency to escape the boundaries of the art world and shape a
discourse that belongs to each of us. Our goal is to be a laboratory of
research, not to follow the sterile professionalism encouraged by art
institutions.
More
about Ken
Friedman?
Since discovering himself an artist during the revolutionary ferment of
the 60s, Ken Friedman has been intent on creating meaningful work characterised
by humanism and social responsibility. He views art as a social function
producing models for action and behaviour to enhance one's daily lived
life. He seeks and then directs us towards the marvellous in the mundane.
He combines a neo-enlightenment advocacy of the experimental model with
a spiritual accent that leads to work that could be viewed as prayers
for a secular age.
The work of this unique artist combines wit and brevity, performance and
musicality, Duchamp and Zen, Dada and concept art, minimalism and gesture
all fired in the furnace of a revolutionary moment.
He has been exhibited in many international museums and galleries.
Anything else?
Ken Friedman will be giving a talk at the Centre of Attention on Friday
2nd April, 7 to 8 pm, with Art Happens (the Art Fund).
"12 structures", a Centre of Attention publication of the scores
will be produced for this exhibition and available in limited paper edition
from the gallery as well on free
unlimited electronic edition. For a free edition in pdf, just
click
here.
Other documents (in Word) are available: Peter Frank Ken
Friedman, the Fluxus years, Ken Friedman 40
years of Fluxus, Ken Friedman Working
from scores are available to download. Just click on the title
above.
More information: contact Pierre/Gary at the Centre of Attention