Artist Proposals

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.

Juan Downey
Three Way Communication by Light

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.

 

Jim McWilliams
The Intravenous Feeding of Charlotte Moorman (A Deep Sea Event for Cerise Cello)

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.

 

Joe Weintraub
The Synatron

Joe Weintraub proposes to present The Synatron, a device "that translates music into a complex kinetic image on the screen of any TV."

 

John Reilly
The Hardware Store: A Video Event by 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 Manhattan hardware store.

 

Geoff Hendricks and Stephen Varble
Simultaneous Performance

In this press release, Geoff Hendricks and Stephen Varble describe their simultaneous performance of pieces for the 9th Annual Avant Garde Festival.

 

Franklin E. Morris, Electronic Studio of Syracuse University
The New Improved Engine Room: Moog Synthesizer, Oscilloscope and Kinescope Event

This three-page leaflet includes two pages of collaged, magenta images and a page of descriptive text.

 

David A. Nunemaker
Painting for the Alexander Hamilton

David Nunemaker and members of Cloud propose to recreate a past time (1924-1930) in the Purser/Baggage Office of the ship Alexander Hamilton.

 

Marilyn Wood
Rail Romp #2 Platform Dance

This document features a drawing of Marilyn Wood's dance performance for the 10th Annual Avant Garde Festival.

 

Robert Moran
A Lunch-Bag Opera

In this letter to Moorman, Robert Moran gives instructions for A Lunch Bag-Opera.

 

Bruce Heilman
Mindscapes Kinetic Light System

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.

 

Anthony McCall
Untitled, Landscape for Fire, Line Describing a Cone

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.

 

Dick Higgins
Dick Loves You: Help Yourself

In this note, Dick Higgins declares that although he cannot attend this year's Annual Avant Garde Festival he would still like to participate by arranging an event in which he sends three tons of flowers to be given to all visitors under the sign "Dick Loves You: Help Yourself."

 

Geoff Hendricks
Sky/Roots: A Meditation on Dreams

This document includes instructions and a sketched diagram for Geoff Hendricks performance Sky/Roots.

 

Jim McWilliams
Flying Cello: A Trapeze Musical Event

This one-page document, which includes a drawing, announces an event by Jim McWilliams, to be performed by Charlotte Moorman.

 

Yoko Ono
46 Reflections

This one-page document is Yoko Ono's presentation of her mirror installation 46 Reflections "From Dawn to Knight".

 

Jan Van Ray
O, Shea Can You See: A Tableaux for Fish and TV

Jan Van Raay's proposes a fish installation, O, Shea Can You See, in which he puts two dozen whitings on field-level seats at Shea Stadium to watch a TV screening the football "Games of the Week." The fish wave pennants supporting the home team, the New York Arts, and loyally remain in their seats all afternoon.

 

Antoni Miralda
Untitled performance

These two sketches present Antoni Miralda's proposal for a cooking performance for the 11th Annual Avant Garde Festival.

 

Anne Tardos
Untitled performance

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.

 

Arthur and Corinne Cantrill
Skin of Your Eye Seen

This document describes a multi-screen piece described as "A visual analysis for film and slide projectors."

 

Jackson Mac Low
A Vocabulary for Charlotte Moorman

In this hand-written document, Jackson Mac Low describes his proposed work for the 11th Annual Avant Garde Festival, consisting of collages and paintings, with words spelled exclusively from the letters of Charlotte Moorman's name.

 

Nelson Howe
Peripatetic Work. A Walking Event for Participatory Performance

This proposal from the 11th Annual Avant Garde Festival is an invitation from Nelson Howe to "everyone who enjoys walking."

 

Guerilla Art Action Group and Jean Toche
United States of America vs. Artist Jean Toche

This document details The Guerrilla Art Action Group's proposal to install an information booth at the 11th Annual Avant Garde Festival.

 

Geoffrey Hendricks
Blanket: A 12 Hour Meditative Ritual

This document contains instructions for Geoffrey Hendricks performance Blanket, A 12 Hour Meditative Ritual.

 

Lil Picard and Charles Schwartz
Quiet Dots

Proposal for Lil Picard's performance at the 11th Annaul Avant Garde Festival.

 

Judith Scott
Stadium Layout + Score for Performance

This drawing presents Judith Scott's proposal for the 11th Annual Avant Garde Festival.

 

Carolee Schneemann
Trespass Press

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.

 

Guerrilla Art Action Group
Stop S-1

This document is The Guerrilla Art Action Group's contribution to the 12th Annual Avant Garde Festival.

 

Lil Picard
1975 Earwig Theatre: A Pamphletary Parody

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.

 

Knud Pederson
Entrance-Ticket and International Payment Order

This entrance-fee reimbursement form is Knud Pedersen's contribution to the 12th Annual Avant Garde Festival.

 

Angels Ribe
A Physical Homage

This poster by Angels Ribe for the 12th Annual Avant Garde Festival declares, "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.

 

Tal Streeter and Atsushi Moriyashu
Flying Red Lines

This is a hand-drawn poster for Tal Streeter and Atsushi Moriyashu's Flying Red Lines for the 12th Annual Avant Garde Festival.

 

Dermot Harvey
Transcendental Aurora Liquid Projections

This press release announces a light performance by Dermot Harvey.

 

Geoffrey Hendricks
Seeding

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."

 

Kasner Gooch and Franklin Morris
Sequel to Syn City

This multi-media event includes the works of six artists.