The Eve of Fluxus
Billie and George
George Maciunas
The Eve of Fluxus: A Fluxmemoir
is now available through mail order or PayPal link below.
The book is a memoir of my meeting and marrying George Maciunas, founder of twentieth century art group Fluxus.
A major collection, The Gilbert and Lila Silverman Collection, of Fluxus documents and objects was donated to the Museum of Modern Art in 2009.
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The Eve of Fluxus: A Fluxmemoir is published by Arbiter Press, an independent press in Orlando, Florida. The book is 131 pages and measures 6″w x 8-1/4″.
It has photos by Hollis Melton of The Flux Wedding and the Black and White Piece that George and I performed for the Flux Cabaret on February 25, 1978.
Photos include images of Louise Bourgeois, Jackson Mac Low, Alison Knowles, Geoffrey Hendricks, Nam June Paik, and Larry Miller (as maid of honor).
Art historian Kristine Stiles wrote the Preface; Fluxus artist Geoffrey Hendricks contributed the Introduction, and Fluxus artist Larry Miller wrote the Afterword.
The book cover and all photos are black and white as an homage to George’s graphic style and the fact that he was color blind. It is primarily a love story as told by an itinerant poet who was profoundly changed by association with and marriage to George. In writing the book I tried to associate George’s personal attributes with those he possessed as an artist. The subtitle, a Fluxmemoir refers to the style of the book, which crosses scholarly, fictional, poetic, and nonfictional genres. –Billie
The book has three covers, “Bubble,” “Silo,” and “Bullet,” designed by D. S. H. Watson, Orlando, Fl. (See photos below). Options are shown in the PayPal link.
To mail-order The Eve of Fluxus, contact Billie at: billiemaciunas@me.com or send payment and cover preferences to Billie Maciunas, 796D Orienta Ave., Altamonte Springs, FL 32701.
Prices include shipping:
Domestic: 1 book $23.50; 2 books $43.75, 3 or more $20 ea. and free shipping
International: 1 book $30; 2 books $55; 3 or more $20 ea. and (free shipping)
*if the universe spins correctly – you should be able to click on the image below and open a .pdf of the cover image
The Eve of Fluxus - Bubble
The Eve of Fluxus - Silo
The Eve of Fluxus - Bullet
Congratulations, I join many others with high anticipation of the book launching.
Thank you, Christine.
Looks fantastic! I think I prefer the ‘bubble’
Best on the launch…
I am totally flummoxed as to how one orders this book.
I can’t even find an email address for Billie.
I would like to order this book (signed, combined) but I can’t figure out how to!
check the site now, there’s an email address for Billie available below the book covers.
Ordering info up now, Davide. Hope you try again.
As an active Fluxus artist in the Lower East Side of NYC between 1962-1967 with several happening-fluxus-inter media venues during the period, I’m sure the following will bring up a few memories. Many of us in that period didn’t care to hange a “name’ what we were doing, like naming “god” limits god. The best things that Moses and Mohamed brought to the banguet long ago and mostly lost in the dirty dishes, that postage stamp fluxus types love as the dumpster dive from the high board! A. Fluxus E, a lower store front on E.3rd, 2 doors off Bowery, opposite “Men’s homeless shelter” 1964-66, publicized by word of mouth particularly at “The Bridge Theater”on St. Mark’s by Cooper Union, where I saved it from ruin with a fresh approach to Underground Films (I was with the original Canyon Cinema Group in Berkeley (1962) and got turned on to found object and scrap film collages, which I made fresh every week for the Bridge programs, often editing between showings, then throwing away. A few went into the film-Makers Co-op, lost. I also developed the lobby of the Bridge as a gallery, for Fluxus graphic statements. I ran Warhol’s Empire for the first time in public, required a N.Y.Film Censors seal, I think the censors watching it helped kill censorship, they cursed me out when I went to pickmit up! I premiered Warhols “Exploding Plastic Inevitable” with Nico and the Velvet Underground above the Polish social hall “The Dom” at my site “Open Stage”, the poster is in Warhol’s bio booknote “Open Stage”, I had to correct his biographers on this. as another film-maker, happening artist, and environmental graphic collage artist it was a good time to be in NYC, then moved to Woodstock, established “Group 212″ Inter-media arts-science-music-poetry etc. residental artist project in 45 bedroom funky resort on Route 212 (also NYC area code and boiling point of water), ran it 1966-69, archives at Woodstock Historical Society, and Woodstock Museum in Saugerties (not the Bethel thing). We were loaded with fluxus artists, a web site on this project is being pulled together by a Bard College arts curator on her own time. I have several informal DVD interviews produced at Woodstock Community t.v.and W. where I talk about Group 212 on one,and another about my creative wanterings as a Beat in 1960 Mexico City, active artist and fumage “fire serpent” artist, Venice at the “Gas House”, the Lower East Side scene and my current activity in FLUXUS N.E.W.S. producing street art graphics “Artist put the money managers on trial”, produced while visiting Group 212 film-maker, theather director Bob Burgos and temporarily placing these 60′s scrolls of the modified “organization man” around L.A., then in Wall St., NYC on 9/11 and in Sao Paolo, Brazil in collaboration with film-maker Rento Frota, with whom I collaborate with on building an internationally oriented web site concerned with current economic, enviromnetal and social issues. This is a bit more focused than most Fluxus movements, I’m collecting oil soaked sea bird feathers for a performance installation to be installed at Engine 27, NYC in Feb.2011. Looking for Miami area collaborators for a performand-installation and exhibit of 60′s Fluxus events and the people. Feel free to contact me at my e-m . Jon Li’ikala (a.k.a Bob Liikala in the 60′s (Reclaiming my Saami heritage,that I grew up in). Available for visiting presenter etc. Having survived 3 wives, I tended to marry my “muse”, you were lucky!
Hello Bob. Your comment is very interesting. I was indeed lucky to have met George before he died. Please feel free to email me if you wish. I live in Orlando and if you are in Miami it isn’t inconceivable that we could meet.
Cool cover Billie.
cecil
Thanks, Cecil. This is by an Orlando graphics designer and former colleague. Because this is a small press edition, he was paid in books. He did a great job on all the covers and on the overall design of the book.
congratulations and much success Billie!
Thanks, William.
Hey Billie, congrats, just ordered my copy and reposted to facebook, can’t wait to read it.
Gregory
Sent out to you on Aug. 21, Gregory. Thanks very much!
GREAT, Billie!
BRAVA Billie!
Thanks, Luciano. It’s taken a long time, but at last . . .
Billie,
congratulations. I hope your book is a great success for you in whatever way you want it to be. I look forward very much to reading it. Reed
Thanks Reed!
right on billie! i look forward to grabbin’ a copy as soon as more flush days come my way! it will be a great addition to my tiny flux (but growing) collection!
W GEORGE! W BILLIE! W FLUXUS!
Can’t wait to see! (Finally saved enough pennies to order!) Congratulations on getting it published. Choosing a cover is tough–I like them all.
Congratulations Billie!
As I recall, Almis and I were squatting in the basement of 141 Wooster (at George’s invitation) around the time the photos above were taken. The cobb webs of my mind look beautiful in the Fluxus light.
Received the book earlier this week and have found it an interesting journey and fun to read.
I heard George mentioned from picasso gaglione, but never knew too much else.
Thanks and hope many more purchase and enjoy your story!
Cheers! Michael (indy-anna)
Emiley was a generous soul, in the mid-60′s I had a funky “happenings-fluxus space” on E.3rd just off Bowery “F-E”,(Fluxus East). The art scene was small. Our mutual friends Franklin and Drake indroduced us (google Franklin Drane Artist” great web site).
I”m moving on establish “Fluxus NEWS” N.E.W.S. as a web site aiming at younger “out of the box creators” This will hone on the social and economic events we live in and ways an artist can be “culturally useful.
In true “anti-establishent” form, “Fluxus East” never sought acclaim, we just did it. Me in my store front studio onE. 4th St., Oldenberg a few block east in another store front. I did do Fluxus collage films, and a Jim Dine silent movie at the Bridge Theater on St. Mark’s Place ( invited the audience to bring radios, tape players for a random sound environment.
I eventally started Group 212 Intermedia Residential workship, with many well known Fluxus-happening character including Alan Kaprow, Drake and many more. The archive is with the historical society of Woodstock and a DVD of my archival talk is available.
Bob Liikala, 831-325-4494 I’ll be in NYC Feb.2011 at Engine 27, on Franklin St., a cutting edge sound environmnet museum and studio.
Thanks, I think my perspective on the times and the fluxus influence will be useful. Infact, I’d like to apply for a residency in Venice anytime after February, 2011. Google Bob Liikala, Robert Liikala for a bit. I hope to go through Lil Picard’s archive stored in the mid-west. Lil had an active eye with here camera, an active artist on the 50′s-60′s scene, The have boxes on unidentified photos, I’d like to check out, I’m sure there are good photos unidentified relavent to the Loer East Side art scene, she live on 10th St. Best to all, I’ll visit in Feb. and would like to get the process started on Venice. I’m traveling Europe with my cousine from Venice to Finland, hope to make a presetation at Vilnus, Jonas Mekas Fluxus wing. Bob Liikala
Hi Billie,
So happy to find your presence here!
Since we met at AS220 during the Fluxus Film Fest @ RISD in the mid 1980s the Space has flourished as a Fluxus inspired arts center.
http://www.as220.org/about/2008/05/ed-talbots-a-year-more-or-less.html
I hope you’ll have a chance to sign my copy of your book!
Very Best Wishes.
Ed