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This section includes reproductions of selected proposals submitted by artists who were invited by Charlotte Moorman to participate in the Annual Avant Garde Festivals from 1972 to 1975. These proposals impart a sense of the multidisciplinary nature of the festivals, the eclecticism of the works and the countercultural spirit of the artists invited by Moorman to participate in the Avant Garde Festivals. The documents are viewable in a larger format by clicking on the appropriate links. |
| 1972: 9th Annual Avant Garde Festival | ||||
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Juan
Downey This document describes Juan Downey's Three Way Communication by Light, in which three performers use laser beams to transmit their voices to one another. A handwritten note at the bottom of the first page reads, "This work has been commissioned by the University of Central Michigan this coming October 4-7th. Juan will then bring it to NYC and premiere here in the festival!! Aren't we Lucky?" |
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Jim
McWilliams Jim McWilliams describes one in a series of events that "highlight Charlotte Moorman and Cello as performers." He states that the idea for this event came when he visited Moorman in the hospital after an operation and Moorman was being fed through tubes. Other events in the series include Ice Music for London in 1972, where Moorman played on a cello made of ice, The Second Coming of Charlotte Moorman at the 2nd Annual Avant Garde Festival, and Sky Kiss # 5 at the 6th Annual Avant Garde Festival. |
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Joe
Weintraub Joe Weintraub proposes to present The Synatron, a device "that translates music into a complex kinetic image on the screen of any TV." The Synatron, which can be attached to any color TV, creates colors and patterns based on the volume and pitch of the music. Weintraub includes a statement about the genesis of the idea for the machine, and describes the Synatron as "radical art, because it allows the viewer to turn off the endless stream of garbage and use his Color TV in a personal, aesthetically satisfying way." |
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John
Reilly In this three-page proposal, John Reilly describes his two-channel video project that documents the environment and sayings of Sam Pogensky, a 77-year-old owner of a hardware store on Second Avenue and First Street on Manhattan. The document includes examples of Pogensky's quotes, as well as biographical information on the artists. |
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Geoff
Hendricks and Stephen Varble In this one-page press release, Geoff Hendricks and Stephen Varble describe their simultaneous performance of pieces for the 9th Annual Avant Garde Festival. Hendricks will perform a Sky Meditation while reading his dreams, dressed as a Sky God. Simultaneously Varble will perform The Four Seasons in a wooden costume, evocative of a tree. The artists write that the "simultaneous performances will evolve like the rotation of planets." Short bios of the artists are included. |
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Franklin
E. Morris, Electronic Studio of Syracuse University This three-page leaflet includes two pages of collaged, magenta images and a page of descriptive text. The artist presents an ambitious multi-media project, assisted by present and former students at Syracuse University, including artist Bill Viola. The event will take place in the engine room of the ship and will feature sounds from a Moog Synthesizer, the audience, and live performers. It will also have a visual system, with colored lights, slide projections and film screenings, affected by the Moog sounds. |
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David
A. Nunemaker David Nunemaker and members of Cloud propose to recreate a past time (1924-1930) in the Purser/Baggage Office of the ship Alexander Hamilton. A restored area will be juxtaposed with decaying areas. This 3-page document includes texts by the artist describing and analyzing his project, and also instructing ship ticket agents as to how they should behave. |
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| 1973: 10th Annual Avant Garde Festival | ||||
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Marilyn Wood |
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Robert
Moran In this letter to Moorman, Robert Moran gives instructions for A Lunch Bag-Opera The performance can take place in the financial district of any large city, at lunchtime. The 20 to 30 performers should wear body-length brown paper bags, with holes for the eyes. The performers should make consistent noise from within the bags, using for example radios, harmonicas or whistles. They should not take normal steps but aim at drifting along the streets. |
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Bruce
Heilman In this letter Bruce Heilman describes two works-in-progress, one that was shown in 1972 Avant Garde Festival and one for the 1973 Festival. Mindscapes Kinetic Light System consists of "a multi-dimensional configuration of swirling colored lights and form's to draw the viewer into the realm of visual hallucination." Icicle features copper tubing connected to a refrigeration compressor, producing changing ice formations. |
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Anthony
McCall In this letter to Moorman, McCall announces that he would like to participate in the 10th Annual Avant Garde Festival by screening three of his films, Untitled (1972), Landscape for Fire (1972) and Line Describing a Cone (1973). Two of the films could be included in the scheduled film program; the third would need to be shown in a large empty space, such as the freight car of the train housing the festival. |
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Dick
Higgins In this note-o-gram, sent to Charlotte Moorman, Dick Higgins declares that he cannot attend this year's Annual Avant Garde Festival. However, he would still like to participate by arranging a delivery event in which he sends three tons of flowers to be given to all visitors under the sign Dick Loves You: Help Yourself. |
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Geoff
Hendricks This two-page document includes instructions and a sketched diagram for Geoff Hendricksí performance Sky/Roots. The artist will be sleeping wrapped in strips of white cloth. On a taped recording the artist will read his dreams. The artist will also be awake, tying branches, writing and making sounds. |
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| 1974 | ||||
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Jim McWilliams |
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Yoko Ono |
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Jan
Van Ray |
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Antoni Miralda |
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Anne
Tardos In this letter Anne Tardos proposes that for the 11th Annual Avant Garde Festival she will invite Rufus Zogman to "perform" a metamorphosis, impersonating Tardos by wearing a photo-mask of her face. |
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Arthur
and Corinne Cantrill This document describes a multi-screen piece described as "A visual analysis for film and slide projectors." In this five-screen development of the film Skin of Your Eye, in which black and white footage is re-filmed in color, additional screens will show the negative and positive black and white raw material, unused color footage, a rear-projected work-print, and slides of frames and strips from the film. |
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Jackson
Mac Low In this hand-written document, Jackson Mac Low describes his proposed work for the 11th Annual Avant Garde Festival. It consists of collages and paintings, with words spelled exclusively from the letters of Charlotte Moorman's name. Mac Low writes that he has been making similar works since 1968 and lists names, dates and places where such editions have been presented. He notes that this work may be also used as a performance score. |
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Nelson
Howe This is an invitation from Nelson Howe to "everyone who enjoys walking." The participants should bring this blue sheet of instructions, constantly keep it visible and walk around Shea Stadium. While walking, the number of steps should be counted. Howe intends to document the walkers on video, asking them each time he meets them to announce the number they have reached. |
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Guerilla
Art Action Group and Jean Toche The Guerrilla Art Action Group proposes to install an information booth at the 11th Annual Avant Garde Festival. They will answer questions and invite discussion in regards to the arrest of artist Jean Toche on March 31, 1974, for sending out handbills criticizing the policies of certain museums. The arrest led to Toche being sentenced to undergo a psychiatric examination. This 3-page document includes a press release for the festival as well as an open letter to the President of the American Psychiatric Association questioning their involvement with dissidents. |
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Geoffrey
Hendricks This document contains instructions for Geoffrey Hendricksí performance Blanket, A 12 Hour Meditative Ritual. People will be moving around pots and pans while blankets will be used to keep the people warm. |
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Lil
Picard and Charles Schwartz Lil Picard reduces the images of photos and drawings into mini-dots. Picard calls these artworks "Dematerializations." At the 11th Annual Avant Garde Festival Picard and Charles Schwartz will perform a "slow motion dotting" of black-clad bodies. |
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Judith
Scott This black and white drawing presents Judith Scott's proposal for the 11th Annual Avant Garde Festival. The poster shows an alternative layout of Shea Stadium, here shaped as a worm. The score for the performance of Scott's Artists-In-Process Improvisation Group is marked on the plan. |
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| 1975 | ||||
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Carolee
Schneemann This note announces the release of two new works from Carolee Schneemann: The publication Cezanne, She Was a Great Painter, and Kitch Poster, a photo survey of Schneemann and Kitch, her cat and companion for 19 years. |
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Guerrilla
Art Action Group |
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Lil
Picard This poster announces the Lil Picard's Earwig Theatre: A Pamphletary Parody with Lil Picard as the Queen of the Earwigs and Charles Andersen as the King of the Earwigs. |
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Knud
Pedersen This form is Knud Pedersen's contribution to the 12th Annual Avant Garde Festival. It is to be filled out by the unsatisfied visitor if she or he wished to have their entrance fee of $1 reimbursed. The money is then to be transferred from the Copenhagen Museum of Modern Art's bank account to the applicant's account within 20 days. |
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Angels
Ribe This two-page document consists of a poster declaring, "Work is the Effort Against Resistance." An accompanying text explains that the artist will place this poster all over New York throughout the duration of the festival. |
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Tal
Streeter and Atsushi Moriyashu This is a hand-drawn poster for Tal Streeter and Atsushi Moriyashu's Flying Red Lines for the 12th Annual Avant Garde Festival. |
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Dermot
Harvey This press release announces the light performance of Dermot Harvey. Harvey will perform three-dimensional liquid projections on helium filled weather balloons that will float near the ceiling of Hanger 9 or 10 at Floyd Bennett Field. When night falls the balloons will be floated in the sky. |
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Geoffrey
Hendricks For the 12th Annual Avant Garde Festival Geoffrey Hendricks presents a set of instructions on how to let nature into the city, including suggestions like "plant seeds the full length of one or more line cracks between the concrete." At the bottom of the announcement Hendricks presents a project from 1967, in which he gives instructions to dig lines in the pavement and plant a forest over the length of seven streets and avenues in Manhattan. |
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Kasner
Gooch and Franklin Morris This multi-media event includes the works of six artists. Over 1500 slides will be shown, partly simultaneously. Electronic music by Bill Gangi will be heard and the performers will attempt to "play" the visuals to fit this sound. There will also be inflatable sculptures and laser projections. |
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