George Maciunas

George Maciunas

Birth : 1931-11-08, Kaunas, Lithuania

Death : 1978-05-09

History

George Maciunas (Lithuanian: Jurgis Mačiūnas; November 8, 1931 – May 9, 1978) was a Lithuanian American artist. He was a founding member and the central coordinator of Fluxus, an international community of artists, architects, composers, and designers. Other leading members brought together by this movement included Ay-O, Joseph Beuys, Jonas Mekas, George Brecht, Dick Higgins, Yoko Ono, Nam June Paik and Wolf Vostell. He is most famous for organising and performing early happenings and for assembling a series of highly influential artists' multiples. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Profile

George Maciunas

Movies

Nam June Paik: Moon Is the Oldest TV
Self (archive footage)
The quixotic journey of Nam June Paik, one of the most famous Asian artists of the 20th century, who revolutionized the use of technology as an artistic canvas and prophesied both the fascist tendencies and intercultural understanding that would arise from the interconnected metaverse of today's world.
George
Self (archive footage)
In 1961 Lithuanian American artist and impresario George Maciunas established the avant-garde art movement Fluxus. George details the rise of Fluxus following a sensationalized tour of “concerts” in Europe in 1962, and continuing in New York for most of the 1960s and ’70s. During this time Maciunas was converting the dying industrial buildings of Soho into a network of artists’ lofts, creating one of the first official real estate co-ops of artist-owned buildings. Maciunas’s life and legacy—as recounted by artists of his generation, including Yoko Ono and Jonas Mekas—ignited debates that remain pivotal to artists working today.
I Don't Know Which Tree It Comes From that Fragrance
Self
In his latest film, Mekas shares what he describes as “a valentine to Yoko Ono,” done in his signature diaristic style. Mixing the familiar 16mm film with DV video, he offers a fly-on-the-wall look at intimate moments spent with one of the foremost artists of that era, including performances by Ono and new footage of her recent work—a testament to her endurance and the friendships she has made and kept over the years.
Fluxfilm Anthology 1962-1970
Director
Feature-length compilation program presenting 37 out of 41 original fluxfilms produced and directed in the 1960s by Fluxus artists, including George Maciunas, Nam June Paik, Yoko Ono, Robert Watts, Paul Sharits, et al.
Scenes from the Life of Hermann Nitsch
himself
A casual, personal portrait of Hermann Nitsch, made with footage I took over the many years of our friendship. Footage includes early performances in New York, images of Hermann shortly after the acquisition of the Prinzendorf monastery, which since has become his main space of activity. You also see Hermann with his Vienna, New York, and Napoli friends, Peter Kubelka, Raimund Abraham, Gunther Brus, George Maciunas, Giuseppe Morra, and others.
Happy Birthday to John
Himself
On October 9th, 1972 an exhibition of John Lennon/Yoko Ono's art, designed by the Master of the Fluxus movement, George Maciunas, opened at the Syracuse Museum of Art, in New York. On the same day an unusual group of John's and Yoko's friends, including Ringo, Allen Ginsberg, Paul Krasner, and many others, gathered to celebrate John's birthday. This film is a visual and audio record of that event.
Zefiro Torna or Scenes from the Life of George Maciunas (Fluxus)
The life and work of Fluxus artist George Maciunas as seen in clips filmed between 1952 and 1978.
He Stands in a Desert Counting the Seconds of His Life
Self
A film collage tracing the story of the lives, loves, and deaths within the artistic community surrounding Jonas Mekas.
End after 9
Director
Word & number gag, no camera.
Artype
Director
Artype patterns, intended for loops. Benday dot patterns. Dots, lines. Screens, wavy lines, parallel lines, etc. on clear film. No camera.
10 Feet
Director
Prestype on clear film measuring tape, 10ft. length. No camera. At the end of every foot of film numbers appear, 1, 2, etc to 10
1000 Frames
Director
Numerals on clear film from 1 to 1000."
Guns of the Trees
Man with Theorbo
A depressed woman, Barbara, is on the verge of suicide while a man she meets in a church and a married couple try to convince her that life is worth living.