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FOR GEORGE BRECHT IN ENGLISH

2005-09-12
Hello 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