FLUXSHOE 1972, ICA Archive

THE 'FLUXSHOE'

The `Fluxshoe' was originally conceived by Mike Weaver in a letter written to Ken Friedman on 9 June 1970. Prior to his post at Exeter, Weaver had been editor of `Form' magazine and had come into contact with Fluxus as early as 1963, when he first corresponded with George Maciunas about work for the International Concrete Poetry exhibition in Cambridge. Both Friedman and Maciunas were enthusiastic about a Fluxus exhibition in the United Kingdom and generously offered to assist in arranging to obtain materials and made many suggestions for the show. Soon, a steady stream of material was shipped to Weaver, and from October 1970, to David Mayor, who as stated before was given the task of organising the exhibition. George Brecht's definition of Fluxus as involving `individuals with something unnameable in common' appears to have appealed most to Mayor. And so, `Fluxshoe' became a platform for performances and events by artists with similar attitudes whether they were allied to `official' Fluxus or not. Initially, the exhibition ws to be quite a modest affair, opening first, in May 1971, at Exeter University before travelling to the Royal College of Art in London. The timing, however, was hopelessly optimistic. Mayor soon realised that at least a year's preparation would be needed and so set about, in his characteristically methodical way, to send out questionnaires to potential participants. By the time Mayor had visited Hanns Sohm, Wolf Vostell, Tomas Schmit, Arthgur Koepcke and others in Europe over the summer, the title of the show had evolved into three possibilities: `Fluxpower', Fluxus in-formation' and `Megalofluxshoe'. Maciunas in a letter of December written oin the back of his most recent mail list - which incidentally featured Mayor as one of only eight fluxcore members - favoured the latter title. Letters had already been sent out to potential venues and the exhibition was advertised in the Arts Council's `Touring Exhibitions on Offer' Bulletin as a three part flexible `shoe (not a show)' consisting of: 1). slides and tapes of events, happenings, performances, and objects by members of Fluxus; 2). live performances by Flux members; 3). a catalogue presenting a background of basic information and recording events as they occur.' By the time 'Fluxshoe' opened on 23 October 1972 in Falmouth, over 100 Fluxus and non-Fluxus artists had agreed to appear either in person or in the exhibition or catalogue. The tour had extended somewhat, since 1971, to encompass seven venues: Falmouth (23-31 Oct 1972), Exeter (13 Nov - 2 Dec 1972), Croydon (15-26 Jan 1973), Oxford (10-25 Feb 1973), Nottingham (6-19 Jun 1973), Blackburn (2-21 Jul 1973), and Hastings (17-24 Aug 1973). Originally, there were to be additional sojourns in Edinburgh (at Richard Demarco's Gallery); Sunderland and Cardiff. In total, there were nine old-guard Fluxus artists who attended at least one venue of 'Fluxshoe', including Eric Andersen, Ay-O, Davi det Hompson, Alice Hutchins, Per Kirkeby, Takehisa Kosugi, Carla Liss, Knud Pedersen, and Takako Saito. Overseas and British artists who featured included: Ian Breakwell, Stuart Brisley, Paul Brown, Helen Chadwick, Marc Chaimowicz, Henri Chopin, Robin Crozier, Allen Fisher, John Gosling, Mary Harding, Anthony McCall, Opal L. Nations, Genesis P-Orridge, Cosey Fanni Tutti and Coum Transmissions, John Plant, Carolee Schneemann, Endre Tot, Paul Woodrow & the W.O.R.K.S. group, and Herv‚ Wrz. In addition to Fluxconcerts and Fluxfilm screenings, there were also events created specifically for each venue of the tour.