Date on Honors Thesis

Fall 12-1-2017

Department

Art and Design

Examining Committee Member

Dr. Antje Gamble, Advisor

Examining Committee Member

Chris Lavery, Committee Member

Examining Committee Member

Dale Leys, Committee Member

Abstract/Description

My intent for this thesis essay is to discuss how East Asian culture and philosophies informed the 1960’s and 1970’s artist group, Fluxus, and how the media and conceptualizations developed by Fluxus, as part of the neo-avant-garde, changed art in ways that still affects contemporary artists, including myself. I will begin with a discussion of the historical avant-garde, the reinvigoration of those ideals in the neo-avant-garde, and the key vanguard concept of anti-art. Following, will be a brief expansion on what aspects of East-Asian culture appealed to the Euro-American vanguard artists of the mid-twentieth century. I will end with an analysis of Yoko Ono’s and Nam June Paik’s roles, as Fluxus artists, in developing newer media such as performance, intermedia, and video; their roles in establishing links and communication between their peers in places like New York, Germany, and Japan; and their overall contribution to Fluxus thought and conceptualization, especially through discussion of their personal work. Once I have established these things, along with a general analysis of what Fluxus was, as a neo-avant-garde group, I will discuss how the media and conceptualizations developed by the group have, like a tree, branched out and effected contemporary art making and thought through a discussion of my current BFA thesis exhibition body of work.

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