Beschreibung:

74 229 Fluxus Higgins D [Fluxus]. Higgins, D. Collection of ±25 TYPESCRIPT (1 autograph)/ COMPUTER PRINTED LETTERS SIGNED, all to Jan van Toorn 1989-1986, many consisting of multiple lvs., all recto only, a few w. orig. autogr. addressed envelope. - WITH an original portrait photograph of Higgins and some cards, (computer) printed catalogues of his publications, schedules of activities etc. = Friendly and very interesting letters by DICK HIGGINS (1938-1998), American artist, composer, poet, publisher, printmaker, co-founder of Fluxus and theorist of the concept "Intermedia" (describing various inter-disciplinary art activities that occurred between genres in the 1960s), all to JAN VAN TOORN (b.1953), founder of Slowscan Records/ Editions, an independent label dedicated to publishing audiovisual art in small editions. The letters i.a. deal with health, income, publications, recordings, contacts, activities etc. "(...) These are very anti-intellectual times, times in which money is equated with quality but expertise is very rare (in spite of all the fancy degrees of the Herr Doktors) -- right? (...). Charlie Morrow made a splendid recording of Filliou reading his WHISPERED HISTORY OF ART. I have a cassette but Charlie has the master tapes; perhaps you shoud consider including it? I called Charlie Morrow (...) and he promised he would look for the WHISPERED HISTORY OF ART, but it is in a box somewhere, -- that is the trouble when artists have archives: the archiver can never be the artist's priority. (...) As for the STACKED DECK, it was the first opera with an electronic score, so far as I know. But after Maxfield's death I was unable to find any reasonably good tapes of it; so finally I gave up and Pauline Oliveros made a new score, which we are now trying to get performed again (it was done once in Los Angeles in late 1981) (...)" [30/11/1989]. "(...) Right now I'm finishing a residence in Canada. Here I've finished typesetting & designing a rather large book by Giordano Bruno (425 pages), has almost finished a graphic work - a BESTIARY - and am working on a hörspiel, STORM RIDERS. Keeping quite busy so I don't worry too much about silly things (how to pay the fuel bill when I get home) etc. (...)" [06/11/1990]. "(...) Please don't send me an International Money Order -- it only enriches the banks (and they benefit from the war). And I'd hate to take money from a fellow artist/artworker -- you need it for your publishing -- especially since you, like me, have to hold a factory job, etc. (...)" [09/02/1991]. "(...) Oh, that is wonderful that Shiomi is with you -- she is a very fine fluxartist. Be sure that Kuniharu Akiyama hears about your CD, since he is the main critic in Japan for Fluxus, was a friend of Maciunas, etc. (...)" [31/10/1991]. "(...) Allison and I are fresh back from a Fluxconcert at Santa Barbara where they did my Twenty Six Mountains for Viewing the Sunset From. The piece went very well, in spite of horrendous problems. (...) Next big thing is an orchestral performance in November - biggest ensemble I have ever had: a hundred voice chorus, forty strings and tubular bells. It's called Saint Columba, which is the name of a favorable old hymn. It starts in chaos, and gradually the parts of a traditional-type harmonization are heard until, at the end the hymn is heard clearly. Maybe some things are like that as we figure them out (...)" [18/10/1994]. SEE ILLUSTRATION PLATE V.