A Question of Language - Ruud Janssen, Marie Wintzer, Katerina NIKOLTSOU

[cheryl penn]

From Ruud Janssen - a new FLUXUS word - which brought me to the question of language - YES I KNOW - AGAIN!!!

I read somewhere that language can be seen as the ‘signature’ style of conceptual art.  From the late 1960’s there was a  breakdown in distinction between the space of the publication and the space of exhibition.  Words flew from books, publications and the printed page onto walls and canvas and land.  Language became a tool for the artist – a model for understanding art, as well as the site of new problems. Words became isolated, removed from specific contexts to roam free – here I am thinking of work like Ed Ruscha’s Electric.  Words became entities in their own right. 

SCORE : FLUXUS WORDS

By Ruud Janssen

1. Think of a new word that doesn’t exist

2. Promote it as a new word

3. Determine the meaning of the word

4. Promote the word worldwide

September 1988

Thats a LONG time to be generating a new language.

I am determining  the meaning of ZOLAI as

The study of all FLUXUS words generated by Ruud Janssen (Netherlands) beginning with the letter Z. 

REVISED ZALOP CHART

And what about our physical effects on language?  We can cut it up and block it out, substantially altering its meaning and substance with physical interference - as this work from Marie Wintzer (japan). shows. “I wrote a .. of letters and tore them all up”… What route are we taking with all this I have to wonder.  This work was sent in the context of the Dream series, but I think it suitably enhances my discussion here :-). Do you know how vocabulary has shrunk? How sad this is? I am thinking a variety of grunts seem to be taking over :-(.... I have taken to calling these works of Maire - Cut-It-Out Works :-)

The labyrinth of language?

A maze within we negotiate our way through life, Attempting to set parameters and find meaning through verbal and artistic expression.  This was supposed to be a 3-d piece – external forces interfered with the artist and words becomes embedded within and on themselves, creating an unintended palimpsest. 

For sure I  think language is user friendly - one just has make friends with it!

Language as I understand it, is a tool with social functions. It has the ability to transform as cultural situations change. We now have recognizable language that incorporates numbers – for example - the word gr8.

And then there is the formulation of new words – Trashpo? I think that was De Villo Sloan? And now its used with frequency, an accepted word form. Red/Re(a)d?

I received this Trashbook from Katerina NIKOLTSOU – again, the moving of words and items out their original context to create a new form of expression – this time in a very old, very  traditional format -  the book. 

Red Angel?

ZALOP - the original Fluxus word I received from Ruud has made an impact when one googles it - as an image or as a word. The increasing frequency with which ones uses these new words enhances the world wide promotion of them.

[De Villo Sloan]

It needs a hole-ster.

[cheryl penn]

holly - thats the spell chick who ALSO has a mind of her own - she wont spell holey...

[cheryl penn]

THat IS the hole :-) - the photo she posted? Except it refused to be a hole. These things have holly subsidized minds of their own - so that hole discussion was over a non-existent hole - can you believe it! 

[De Villo Sloan]

Sometimes? Marie sent you a flat hole?

[cheryl penn]

don't you get the feeling sometimes that words ARE physical entities??? They really DO fly? I get very vivid pictures of this :-) X

[cheryl penn]

Thank you Genki's - (I'm borrowing that from the Em-Press) I know what Genki's look like by the way - YES! Another dream - what can I do??? I'm just the scrib(e)bler... XX

[De Villo Sloan]

Great update on the evolution of a Fluxus word! With a flowchart no less!

[Marie Wintzer]

I love the Zalop chart, btw...

Thanks for blogging that almost-disaster of a piece. I was sad when I heard it got irreversibly flattened :-)) but now I think it makes it more interesting. Or you managed to give it a meaning so it's not entirely useless, thank you!

It's also interesting that Trashpo quite naturally needed Trashbooks....

[Marie Wintzer]

Such an interesting blog you wrote, CP-SA, thank you for the treat!! They are so rare but you keep them absolutely fab. "Words flew from books, publications and the printed page onto walls and canvas and land."... those are beautiful words, full of imagery. It makes me want to add "and then we take take them back, hang them off those walls and use them to shape up blogs". Like a cycle of language....

I'll be back (again)

[Marie Wintzer]

First of all: yeeey, a new Cheryl blog!!!! Then.... I'll be back in a sec!