The idea of "Happenings" which as far as I remember something Allan Kaprow started with his work. Happenings are performances of life so to speak, and the artists organizes the event but the outcome is controlled based on all the participants. It seems to be considering life as art but only when lived completely the present moment, sense the artists are also against repeating any of these "happenings" at least with the same interpretation or recorded in any way. So its the art of the present, physically - doing the action or somehow engaging with the happening and intellectually- by dealing with the situation based on instinct instead of having time to analyze the situation.
In my art work I don't exactly do "Happenings", but I like to think about the immediate reaction an individual has to certain environmental changes based on instinct instead of purely societal. For instance, in my photography series i want to capture the physical changes with the models postures based on the environment they are set in. I feel as though it captures an essence of the human spirit, which is very fragile but extremely powerful if noticed with enough light.
It would have been awesome participating in one of the "happenings". A real self discovering moment.
I like your idea about that happenings i the performance of life. That is some intricate difference I was trying to find from all the other performing art. Other performing art are either trying to reflect soemthing from teh audiences or express the artist's emotion. But Allan Kaprow truely invented an independent art form. The art of life and the art of happening.
ReplyDeleteIt is an odd concept to have art that you can only experience once. So much art is kept in museums so it can be displayed for hundreds of years. Happenings and that idea of "present" art really challenge that notion.
ReplyDeleteThey're definitely so difficult to watch! I think participating in one (like the mirror activity) makes them seem a lot less...silly? That's not quite the right word, but you get caught up in it with so much more ease--you forget how kinda weird it is! I agree--I think a large happening would be a moment of self discovery or reflection.
ReplyDeleteKaprow also liked to reuse stuff (like the old tires or trash) and stage pieces in parking ramps and dumps. Maybe we don't need more stuff but to experience the stuff we have in an elevated way.
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