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A History of Performance syllabus and rpadings A History of Performance Moira Roth As with all syllabi, this one is imperfect. U.S. Happenings, Music, Theater, and Critical Introduction (New York: Rout­ Readers will see that the course in no way Dance Experiments in the 1960s; 7) ledge). Two other major new source books aspires to be global, but rather focuses on Fluxus Sensibilities; 8-9) Introduction to are Kristine Stiles and Peter Selz, eds., earlier historical material from Europe, U.S. Performance Art, Late 1960s-1980s; Theories and Documents of Contemporary together with contemporary U.S. happen­ 10) Pushing the Boundaries: Performance Art: A Sourcebook of Artists' Writings ings and performances, focusing on the Art, Censorship, and AIDS. The remain­ (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1960s and 1970s. There is much further ing weeks were devoted to student presen­ 1996), and Jerome Rothe~berg and Pierre 73 work to be done, not only in bringing it tations/performances. Joris, ed., Poems for the Millennium, Vol­ "up-to-date" chronologically, but also the­ ume One: From Fin-de-Siecle to Negritude oretically. Equally, the selection of artists Course Description (Berkeley: University of California Press, and works needs to be revised to present a 1995). Important forthcoming publica­ more balanced reading in terms ofcultural Historically the seminar begins with the tions include Charles R. Garoian, Perfor­ diversity, gender, and sexual orientation. I European antecedents of this art form in mance Art Anthology and Peformance Art, want to stress, too, that although I use the Futurist, Dada, and Russian revolu­ Culture, Pedagogy (the edited proceed­ many videos and audiotapes, I I have not tionary art movements, and so on. Simul­ ings of a symposium held at Penn State been able to include a list ofthem here. taneously it places the history of University in University Park, Pennsylva­ performance art in the wider context of the nia, November 13-17, 1996) and Amelia nineteenth-century dandy tradition and Jones, Body Art: Performing the Subject have taught performance classes since the history of avant-garde theater (includ­ (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota I the 1970s, first at the University of Cal­ ing cabaret), dance, and music. The focus Press, 1998). In addition, there will be an ifornia, San Diego, and now at Mills Col­ then shifts to the United States. important catalogue for the exhibition Out lege in Oakland. This current seminar is Performance art develops here in ofActions: Between Performance and the part of our regular curriculum, and I teach the 1960s, a highly theatrical as well as Object, 1949-1979 (Los Angeles: Museum it every other year, revising it extensively political decade, in the context of experi­ of Contemporary Art and London: Thames each time. In recent years, I have pro­ mental theater, music, dance, and hap­ and Hudson, 1998), edited by Paul duced photocopied "books" of students' penings, the Conceptual and earthwork art Schimmel and Russell Ferguson, with essays. I also have selected one or two movements, and a deep questioning of art essays by Guy Brett, Kellie Jones, Hubert artists on whom to focus; in 1995, these institutions and the role of the artist. As Klocker, Shinichiro Osaki, Schimmel, and were Suzanne Lacy and Joyce Scott (see performance art formally emerges as a Kristine Stiles. readings for Weeks 2 and 4).2 Additional­ recognized genre in the late 1960s and Downloaded by [Flinders University of South Australia] at 17:40 05 January 2015 ly, we always do some sort of collective early 1970s, it becomes a major vehicle Frequently Cited Sources event. Among the most memorable were a for contemporary artists in the United twelve-hour theater piece (each piece, States; from the beginning, women artists Benedikt, Michael, and George E. Well­ beginning on the hour, was located on the play leading roles in developing its char­ worth, eds. Modern French Theater: Mills campus); a red banquet (attended by acter and scope. The Avant-Garde, Dada, and Surreal­ a large audience that wore red to this lav­ The readings "required" for the ism, An Anthology ofPlays. New York: ish eight-course "red" meal with many 1995 seminar came from a photocopied Dutton, 1966. performances); and a seven-course break­ anthology of texts (which I revised each Carr, C. On Edge: Performance at the fast (designed in seven different colors in time I teach this material) and Robyn End ofthe Twentieth Century. Middle­ honor of Linda Montano's Seven Years of Brentano and Olivia Georgia, Outside the town: Wesleyan University Press, c. Living Art). Frame: Performance and the Object, A 1993. In 1995, I divided the material and Survey History of Performance Art in the Goldberg, RoseLee. Performance Art: readings into thirteen weeks as follows: 1) USA since 1950 (Cleveland: Cleveland From Futurism to the Present. New General Introduction; 2) Suzanne Lacy; 3) Center for Contemporary Art, 1994). York: Abrams, 1988. Dada, Futurism, and Dandyism; 4) Joyce NB. In 1996, Marvin Carlson pub­ Hart, Lynda, and Peggy Phelan, eds. Acting Scott; 5) Revolutionary Russian, German, lished an interesting text, which includes Out: Feminist Performances. Ann Arbor: and French Theater; 6) Introduction to a useful bibliography: Performance: A University of Michigan Press, 1993. ART JOURNAL 74 Suzanne Lacy and collaborators, The Turning Point Pro;ect, Vancouver, 1997 (a yearlong performance series on young girls and self-esteem). Juno, Andrea, and V. Vale, eds. Angry "Lacy: Some of Her Own Medicine," York: Oxford University Press, 1973. Women. San Francisco: Re/Search 71-76; Roth, "Selected Bibliography Futurist texts by Balla, Boccioni, Cangiul­ Publications, no. 13, 1991. on Suzanne Lacy," 77-81. 10, Marinetti, and Rognoni. In Kirby Kirby, Michael, and Victoria Nes Kirby. and Kirby, Futurist Performance, Futurist Performance. New York: Per­ Further Recommended Reading 233-37,252-53,294-95,301. forming Arts Journal Publications, Glassberg, David. American Historical Jarry, Alfred. Editor's introduction and 1986. Pageantry. Chapel Hill: University of selections from King Ubu (1896). In North Carolina Press, 1990. Benedikt and Wellwarth, Modern Lacy, Suzanne, ed. Mapping the Terrain: French Theater, x-xiii, 1-15. New Genre Public Art. Seattle: Bay Marinetti, Filippo Tommaso. "The Vari­ WEEK 2 Press, 1994. ety Theater" (1913). In Kirby and Suzanne Lacy, Performance Work Kirby, Futurist Performance, 179-86. Brentano, foreword, introduction, and Russolo, Luigi. "The Art of Noise" Olivia Georgia, "Framing Out," in (1913). In Kirby and Kirby, Futurist Outside the Frame, 85-107, and WEEK 3 Performance, 166-74. plates 21-29, 109-34,215-35. Dada, Futurism, and Dandyism Schwitters, Kurt. "Theo van Doesburg Downloaded by [Flinders University of South Australia] at 17:40 05 January 2015 Symbolist, Dada, and Surrealist and Dada" (1931). In Robert Mother­ Photocopy Anthology theater and persona experiments; well, ed. The Dada Painters and Kelley, Jeff. "The Body Politics of Suzanne Futurist "evenings"; theories about Poets: An Anthology, 275-76_ New Lacy." In Nina Felshin, ed. But Is It theater and sound. York: Wittenborn, Schultz, 1985. Art? The Spirit ofArt as Activism, Segel, Harold B. "Zurich: Dada Voltaire." 221-50. Seattle: Bay Press, 1995. Brentano, performance art timeline, in In Turn-ofthe-Century Cabaret: Paris, Roth, Moira. "Visions and Re-Visions: A Outside the Frame, 137-50. Barcelona, Berlin, Munich, Vienna, Conversation with Suzanne Lacy." Art­ Cracow, Moscow, St. Petersburg, forum 19, no. 3 (November 1980): Photocopy Anthology Zurich, 321-{)5, 389-91. New York: 42-45. Apollinaire, Guillaume. The Breasts of Columbia University Press, 1987. TDR (The Drama Review) 32, no. 1 Tiresias (1917). In Benedikt and Well­ Tzam, Tristan. "The Gas Heart" (1920). (Spring 1988). Special section on warth, Modern French Theater, 63-79. In Benedikt and Wellwarth, Modern Suzanne Lacy with the following texts: Duchamp, Marcel (Rrose Selavy). "Men French Theater, 131-46. Moira Roth, "Suzanne Lacy: Social before the Mirror." In Michel Sanouil­ Zdanevich, lIya, and Mikhail Larionov. Reformer and Witch," 42-60; Diane let and Elmer Peterson, eds. Salt Sell­ "Why We Paint Ourselves: A Futurist Rothenberg, "Social Art/Social er: The Writings ofMarcel Duchamp Manifesto" (1913). In John E. Bowlt, Action," 61-70; Lucy R. Lippard, (Marchand du Sel), 188-89. New ed. Russian Art ofthe Avant-Garde: WINTER 1997 Theory and Criticism 1902-1934, kins University Press, 1994. Photocopy Anthology 80-83. New York: Viking Press, 1976. Motherwell, Robert, ed. The Dada Sims, Lowery. "Aspects of Performance in Painters and Poets: An Anthology. the Work of Black American Women Further Recommended Reading New York: Wittenborn, Schultz, 1985. Artists." In Joanna Frueh, Cassandra Naumann, Francis M., and Beth Vann, L. Langer, and Arlene Raven, eds. General eds. Making Mischief Dada Invades Feminist Art Criticism: An Anthology, Goldberg, "Futurism" and "Dada," in New York. Exh. cat. New York: Whit­ 207-25. Ann Arbor: UMI Research Peiformance Art, 11-30,50-74. ney Museum of American Art/Abrams, Press, i988. Avant-Garde and Theater History/Texts 1997. Benedikt and Wellwarth, Modem French Roth, Moira. "Marcel Duchamp in Ameri­ Theater. ca: A Self Ready-Made." Arts Maga­ Deak, Frantitek Symbolist Theater: The zine 51, no. 5 (May 1977): 92-96. WEEK 5 Formation ofan Avant-Garde. Balti­ Rothenberg, Jerome, and Pierre Joris, more: Johns Hopkins Press, 1993. eds. Kurt Schwitters: Poems Peifor­ Revolutionary Russian, Shattuck, Roger. The Banquet Years: The mance Pieces Proses Plays Poetics. German, and French Theater Origins ofthe Avant Garde in France, Philadelphia: Temple University Russian Revolutionary mass theater, 1895 to World War I: Alfred larry, Press, 1993. Bauhaus theater experiments, and the Henri Rousseau, Erik Satie, Guillaume Rugh, Thomas F. "Emmy Hennings and writings ofBrecht and Artaud. the Emergence of Zurich Dada." Apollinaire. Rev. ed. New York: Ran­ Brentano, chronology (1917-51), in Out­ dom House, 1968. Woman's Art loumal2, no. 1 (Spring-Summer 1981): 1-6.
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