An Anthology of Chance Operations

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An Anthology of Chance Operations (An Anthology) was an artist's book publication from the early 1960s, featuring experimental neodada art and music composition that used John Cage–inspired indeterminacy. It was edited by La Monte Young and DIY co-published in 1963 by Young and Jackson Mac Low in New York City. Its full title is: An Anthology of chance operations concept art anti-art indeterminacy improvisation meaningless work natural disasters plans of action stories diagrams Music poetry essays dance constructions mathematics compositions.

Legacy

The project became the manifestation of the original impetus for establishing Fluxus.

In autumn 1960 the editor of Beatitude magazine approached Young and Mac Low after a reading and asked them if they would guest-edit an issue of the East Coast edition of his magazine, Beatitude East. Given free rein to include whoever and whatever he wanted, Young collected a large body of new and experimental music, anti art, poetry, essays and performance scores from America, Europe and Japan. The magazine, however, folded after only one issue, and the materials that Young had collected were never published until An Anthology of Chance Operations.

In June 1961 George Maciunas, who had already begun plans to publish a magazine in the autumn of the same year, designed the book's layout and title pages, while others, including Mac Low, produced the typescript for the works themselves.

Although it can be argued^[1] that An Anthology is not strictly a Fluxus publication, its development and production were central events in the formation of Fluxus. It marked the first collaborative publication project between people who were to become part of Fluxus: Young (editor and co-publisher), Mac Low (co-publisher) and Maciunas (designer).

The art dealer Heiner Friedrich issued a second edition in 1970.^[2]

Participants

George Brecht
Claus Bremer
Earle Brown
Joseph Byrd
John Cage
David Degener
Walter De Maria
Henry Flynt
Yoko Ono
Dick Higgins
Toshi Ichiyanagi
Terry Jennings
Ray Johnson
Jackson Mac Low
Richard Maxfield
Robert Morris created a piece for the first edition but just prior to publication withdrew his contribution.
Malka Safro
Simone Forti
Nam June Paik
Terry Riley
Dieter Roth
James Waring
Emmett Williams
Christian Wolff
La Monte Young

References

External links

An Anthology of Chance Operations PDF

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