Fluxus, Feminism, and the 1960's
Keywords:
Fluxus, Yoko Ono, Kate Millett, Shigeko Kubota, 1960'sAbstract
The 1960’s experienced an upheaval through social change within the Politico and Countercultural groups; however both movements largely ignored women’s issues. The Fluxus anti art movement of the time shared many of the philosophies of both the Counterculture and Politico movements yet was able to provide a supportive place for women within it as equals. The indiscriminate nature of Fluxus accepted artists from all over the globe, of all genders, races, and cultures; notably artists such as Alison Knowles, Shigeko Kubota, Meiko Shiomi, Carolee Schneeman, Yoko Ono, and Kate Millett. Through Fluxus performance that unavoidably found the female body at the centre, sometimes as a medium itself, these artists were able to present pieces that revealed various aspects of women’s oppression in society. In this way Fluxus was a necessary foundation for the feminist movement within the arts community. This also reveals the power that the arts contain as catalyst for social change.
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References
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