The Yam Festival Robert Watts (artist)

lantern event; aspect of yam festival, 1962, mail art piece robert watts , george brecht; coloured paper scores watts.

watts met artist , chemist george brecht in 1957 after latter saw exhibition of watts work , sought acquaintance; 2 meet lunch every week, kaprow joining them, number of years discuss art , plan joint exhibitions. 1 of famous proto-fluxus yam festival (1962–3), used mail-art build expectations month-long series of happenings, performances , exhibitions @ rutgers, new york city , george segal s farm in new jersey. participating artists included alison knowles, ay-o, al hansen, ray johnson, john cage, , dick higgins. events ran parallel george maciunas fluxus festivals in europe (sept 1962-early 1963) -which had performed of watts event scores in düsseldorf- , 2 events officially joined when maciunas published brecht s event scores water yam, first of flux boxes published. watts own flux collection, robert watts events published year later , brought many of mail art event scores had been used publicise yam festival.

consider yam lecture chain of events arranged in such way sequence quite random, no performance other, changing performers, costumers, actions, sounds, words, images, , on. structure such flexible (nearly non-existent) , permits inclusion of 1 wished , possible future changes. loose , open thing. audience puts way wishes or not @ all.

similar ideas @ work in yam festival george brecht , carried out last year. in effect mailing audience, randomly chosen, of assortment of things. event cards similar above; others objects, food, pencils, soap, photos, actions, words, facts, statements, declarations, puzzles, etc. ones subscription. 1 might way of working way or manner of calling attention 1 wishes talk about; or way of talking it. or way hold scrutiny range of material ordinarily not directly useful art or has not yet been considered. robert watts, quoted in times literary supplement, 1964

one example of watts event scores around point casual event;