““Happenings in the Happenings in the New York Scene”New York Scene”

Betsy GoochBetsy GoochLCC 6310LCC 6310

Who & WhatWho & What

Allan Kaprow – an American painter, Allan Kaprow – an American painter, assemblagist, and pioneer in establishing assemblagist, and pioneer in establishing concepts of performance artsconcepts of performance arts– First coined the term happening in the Spring First coined the term happening in the Spring

of 1957 at an art picnic at George Segal’s of 1957 at an art picnic at George Segal’s farm to describe the art pieces that were farm to describe the art pieces that were going ongoing on

Who & WhatWho & What HappeningHappening - a - a

performance, event or performance, event or situation meant to be situation meant to be considered as artconsidered as art– take place anywheretake place anywhere– multi-disciplinarymulti-disciplinary– often lack a narrative often lack a narrative – frequently seek to involve frequently seek to involve

the audience in some waythe audience in some way– some elements of some elements of

happenings are planned, happenings are planned, but artists sometimes but artists sometimes retain room for retain room for improvisationimprovisation

According to the ArticleAccording to the Article ““Happenings are events that, put simply, Happenings are events that, put simply,

happen”happen” Unconventional theater pieces - not Unconventional theater pieces - not

accepted by devotees of theateraccepted by devotees of theater– Need to widen the concept "theater" to Need to widen the concept "theater" to

include them to understand them betterinclude them to understand them better Qualities that Distiniguish Happenings Qualities that Distiniguish Happenings

from Usual Theater Worksfrom Usual Theater Works1.1. ContextContext2.2. Lack of plot and "philosophy"Lack of plot and "philosophy"3.3. Involvement in chanceInvolvement in chance4.4. Impermanence Impermanence

The ContextThe Context The place of conception and enactment The place of conception and enactment

– ““Habitat” - not only a space - a set of Habitat” - not only a space - a set of relationships to the various things around it, and relationships to the various things around it, and a range of values, but an overall atmosphere as a range of values, but an overall atmosphere as well, which penetrates it and whoever well, which penetrates it and whoever experiences it.experiences it.

– ““This organic connection between art and its This organic connection between art and its environment is so meaningful and necessary that environment is so meaningful and necessary that removing one from the other results in abortion”removing one from the other results in abortion”

No separation of audience and playNo separation of audience and play– Invite us to cast aside proper manners and Invite us to cast aside proper manners and

partake in the real nature of the art and lifepartake in the real nature of the art and life

Lack of Plot and Lack of Plot and “Philosophy"“Philosophy"

No written plotNo written plot No obvious pre-determined No obvious pre-determined

meaning or messagemeaning or message ImprovisationalImprovisational No absolute mediumNo absolute medium

– May not have words, and May not have words, and even if they do, they may not even if they do, they may not make sense or mean what make sense or mean what they usually mean (could be they usually mean (could be about the sound of them about the sound of them rather than the definition)rather than the definition)

Involvement in ChanceInvolvement in Chance Chance - deliberately employed mode of Chance - deliberately employed mode of

operating that penetrates the whole operating that penetrates the whole composition and its charactercomposition and its character

– the vehicle of the spontaneousthe vehicle of the spontaneous Implies risk and fearImplies risk and fear

– Concept of “good” art vs. “failure”Concept of “good” art vs. “failure”– They run the risk of creating something They run the risk of creating something

outside what is considered “good” artoutside what is considered “good” art If artists accept the idea of chance, then If artists accept the idea of chance, then

its methods needn't invariably cause its methods needn't invariably cause their work to reduce to either chaos or a their work to reduce to either chaos or a bland indifference, lacking in bland indifference, lacking in concreteness and intensity, as in a table concreteness and intensity, as in a table of random numbers.of random numbers.

ImpermanenceImpermanence Cannot be reproducedCannot be reproduced

– Not necessarily the same people participating Not necessarily the same people participating in each performancein each performance

– The work is over before habits can be begin The work is over before habits can be begin to set into set in

– The physical The physical materials materials used to create used to create the the environment environment perishableperishable

Thus is fresh Thus is fresh for better or for better or worstworst

What is ArtWhat is Art

The are a moral act whose The are a moral act whose professional status as art is less a professional status as art is less a criterion than their certainty as an criterion than their certainty as an ultimate existential commitmentultimate existential commitment

““Weakness of much vanguard art is Weakness of much vanguard art is the assumption that art exists and the assumption that art exists and can be recognized and practiced”can be recognized and practiced”– Not so sure whether what we do now is Not so sure whether what we do now is

art or something not quite artart or something not quite art

Questioning the State of Questioning the State of SuccessSuccess

Unable to accept rewards for being Unable to accept rewards for being artists, because it has been sensed artists, because it has been sensed deeply that to be one means to live deeply that to be one means to live and work in isolation and pride.and work in isolation and pride.

Once artists have been recognized Once artists have been recognized they are “capitulated to the interests they are “capitulated to the interests of good taste”of good taste”– They no longer produce art for They no longer produce art for

themselves, but rather for audiences – themselves, but rather for audiences – creates a “stillborn art”creates a “stillborn art”

MelodramaMelodrama The myth of success is a pseudo-problem of the The myth of success is a pseudo-problem of the

artists' own makingartists' own making– It is not the patrons' and the publicists' moral obligation It is not the patrons' and the publicists' moral obligation

to protect the artists' freedomto protect the artists' freedom– Doesn’t account for why our tastes change from Doesn’t account for why our tastes change from

fad/movement to fad/movementfad/movement to fad/movement Much of the positive character of America can be Much of the positive character of America can be

understood by the word melodrama via understood by the word melodrama via archetypal personages archetypal personages

Referring more to the hard and silly melodrama of Referring more to the hard and silly melodrama of their lives and almost farcical social positiontheir lives and almost farcical social position– Famous only after they dieFamous only after they die– Adventure is everything - the tangible goal is not Adventure is everything - the tangible goal is not

importantimportant

MelodramaMelodrama Today vanguard artists are: Today vanguard artists are:

– Given their prizes very quickly instead Given their prizes very quickly instead of being left to their adventureof being left to their adventure

– They are led to believe that this was They are led to believe that this was the thing they wantedthe thing they wanted

– Now they must die (at least spiritually) Now they must die (at least spiritually) to keep the myth intact to keep the myth intact Thus the creative aspect of their art ceasesThus the creative aspect of their art ceases

Embracing MelodramaEmbracing Melodrama

Happenings are Happenings are the purest the purest melodrama and melodrama and embody the myth embody the myth of nonsuccessof nonsuccess

Happenings have emerged as an art that Happenings have emerged as an art that can function precisely as long as the can function precisely as long as the mechanics of our present rush for cultural mechanics of our present rush for cultural maturity continuematurity continue– They only exist as long as people are They only exist as long as people are

interested in theminterested in them

Embracing the MelodramaEmbracing the Melodrama

Negative: Negative: – Some of artists will probably become Some of artists will probably become

famous it will probably destroy him or herfamous it will probably destroy him or her Positive: Positive:

– As the new myth grows on its own, the As the new myth grows on its own, the artist may achieve a beautiful privacy, artist may achieve a beautiful privacy, famed for something purely imaginary famed for something purely imaginary while free to explore something nobody while free to explore something nobody will noticewill notice