Benjamin Patterson: Born in the State of Flux/ Us

Benjamin Patterson: Born in the State of FLUX/usis the definitive account of this Fluxus founding member's 40-year career. Fluxus scholar Jon Hendricks has summed up the movement's legacy thus: "Even though in the end Fluxus failed in its objective of replacing art with 'functionalism' and only partially succeeded in engaging artists in a collective struggle against bourgeois aesthetics, nonetheless, its contributions are enormous. Conceptual art, performance art, political art, mail art, Minimalism, artists' books, new music, mass-produced art and even cooperative artists' housing were affected by or developed directly from Fluxus." Despite Fluxus' enduring imprint on contemporary art practice and Patterson's significant contributions to the movement, this artist, composer and performer remains under-recognized. This monograph--in concert with a concurrent exhibition originating at Contemporary Arts Museum Houston--includes much work that was previously unpublished in the U.S., contributing substantially to Fluxus scholarship. Richly illustrated, it contains essays by the exhibition's organizing curator, Valerie Cassel Oliver, as well as Renee Block, Bertrand Clavez, Charles Gaines, George Lewis and Marcia Reed. In addition, it features an anthology of Patterson scores that have never before been exhibited, edited by Jon Hendricks, and a highly collectable CD compilation of his musical performances from 1961-2007.