FOR GEORGE BRECHT IN ENGLISH2005-09-12Hello Fluxus friends This is a small newsletter concerning George Brecht and his coming show at Ludwig Museum in Köln Opening on the 16 th of September at 14 to 19,00 George Brecht is the artist maybe the artist in the world who marked me the most. I was at the time in 1962 interested in what could be defined as " the limits of art " I had met Yves Klein (the monochrome) Manzoni (shit in art) and knew about Duchamp's Ready Made So when Maciunas in 1962 in London said to me : There is someone in New York called George Brecht whose work also contains and concerns a limit in art I said : what does he do? Maciunas answered : He blinks or just shakes your hand or closes a door. I remember being so taken aback at the idea that I decided to go to New York and see George Brecht There in 1964 I saw him on Canal Street Brecht arrived sat at the piano the lights went out. in the dark Brecht left the piano the light came back the piano was all alone music can't get simpler And as it was my habit to compare and classify what I saw I put Brecht with Duchamp and John Cage Top three Very far in front of all the others Pop : new realist , Arte Povera artists etc Why? Because most of the others Are just new decoration Why do I consider George Brecht so important? Because this simple white chair against this wall close to the door, in my kitchen when I think : that it is George Brecht that reduces all other works to the walls, to the level of esthetical decorations Why do I consider George Brecht so important? Because In 1961 at Martha Jackson in New York there was a show with all the Pop of the time and Brecht, a table, two chairs and deck of cards his piece went partially unnoticed but 40 years after contains rupture and not variation Why do I consider George Brecht so important? Because When 30 year's later Beaubourg Museum wanted to acquire Brecht his instructions were of going with the BHV (retail shop) or elsewhere, buy a coat rack a red waxed coat to pose them some where in the museum Why do I consider George Brecht so important? Because Robin Page said of Brecht : He is the only man who can walk on snow without leaving a trace Why do I consider George Brecht so important? Because "Water Yam", the main work of Brecht, contains "events" and the Brecht event is a kind of frontier line between art and life simplicity, details, etc in art Why do I consider George Brecht so important? Because his attitude towards art does not contain the classical art ego duo or I would say is put as much as possible aside but i still have lots to say about the importance of "event" in art so I think I will write a longer article on Brecht you can read on my site http://www.ben-vautier.com/ just clic on the fluxus tongue Still just a few words Well but I am Ben vautier And I do art I have an ego Difficult to hide So I don't hide it And since I will be going to see Brecht's show in Köln I would like to inform you that I am also participating in a show with Ben Patterson and Vera Lossau at the Gallery Shüppenhauer Bismakstrasse 70 The opening is on the 17 th September at 14 h to 19h00 I decided to show some works on chance Hope to see you in Köln Ben vautier |