A Fluxus Video Clip

Background information about the Fluxus Movement

Fluxus means "to flow." This tries to convey a spirit of rebellion against the commercial art market, elitism, and the conventions of both art and society. It had its roots in Dada, Futurism, and Surrealism, while its irreverence and youthful energy were in tune with the counterculture of the 1960s

Fluxus artists did not agree with the authority of museums to determine the value of art, nor did they believe that one must be educated to view and understand a piece of art. Fluxus not only wanted art to be available to the masses, they also wanted everyone to produce art all the time. A central Fluxus belief was to dismiss and mock the elitist world of "high art" and to find any way possible to bring art to the masses.

The use of everyday objects and the element of chance in art became the fundamental attitude and practice of all Fluxus artists. These artists focused especially on performance aspects of the movements. Intentionally uncategorizable, Fluxus projects were wide-ranging and often multidisciplinary, humorous, and based on everyday, inexpensive materials and experiences—including everything from breathing to answering the telephone.

Performances—which Fluxus artists called “Events”—were a significant part of the movement. These were largely based on sets of written instructions, called “scores,” which would result in an action, event, performance, or one of the many other kinds of experiences that were generated out of this vibrant movement.

Fluxus events included audience participation as a way of involving the public in the making of art. Although Fluxus is mainly known for performances, Fluxus artists also created more plastic forms of art, such as boxes filled with various items (often called Fluxkits), prints, and Fluxus films

The influence of Fluxus throughout the arts appears particularly with later incarnations of Performance art, Land art, and Graffiti and Street art, and those artists who deliberately work outside established museum systems. An artist like Banksy is a good example of the continuation of the Fluxus philosophy.

Marcel Ducham and John Cage experiment with sound and images