Aspen Magazine No. 8 [The Fluxus Issue]

New York: Aspen Communications Inc., [1970-71]. First Edition.

Folder measuring 11 inches (285 mm) square containing books, flyers, and posters (soft cover).

A complete issue of Phyllis Johnson's iconic multimedia arts publication, Aspen Magazine, which was published from 1965 to 1971. This issue is often called the Fluxus issue because of the involvement of Fluxus impresario George Maciunas and other artists associated with this experimental art community of the '60s and '70s.

Like all the other Aspen issues, this one contains a multitude of artists' works loosely laid in to a folder. All 14 sections are present (collation based on the UbuWeb avant-garde "shadow library" at ubu.com):


Section 1: The outside folder, which encloses sections 2 through 14. Editorial note by Dan Graham, table of contents, and brief biographies of the contributing artists. Cover painting by Jo Baer.

Section 2: Small booklet: In Place of a Lecture: Three Musics for Two Voices, by Eleanor Antin and David Antin.

Section 3: Hot/Cold Book. A small book of terms describing similar and opposite physical properties, by Terry Atkinson and Michael Baldwin.

Section 4: 1 + 1 for One Player and Amplified Table Top, a musical score on a single page, by Philip Glass.

Section 5: Phonograph recording featuring works by Jackson Mac Low and La Monte Young. The Mac Low side has poems read by Mac Low, Carol Bergé, Spencer Holst, Iris Lezak Mac Low, and Anne Waldman. Section 10 explains the recording.

Section 6: A single sheet featuring Lead Shot, a description of a sculptural project by Richard Serra, and Pendulum Music, by Steve Reich, a description of an audio study.

Section 7: Notes on Continuous Periodic Composite Sound Waveform Environmental Realizations...., by La Monte Young. A single large sheet, printed recto only.

Section 8: Three Distributions by Yvonne Rainer. A single large sheet with drawings, text and, on the verso, photographs.

Section 9: Art & Vision: Mach Bands. Booklet containing an essay on physiological rules of perception, by Jo Baer.

Section 10: Introduction to the Young Turtle Assymetries, by Jackson Mac Low. Description of chance-generated poems for simultaneous performance, with text on five detachable cards (all present). Refers back to the phonograph recording in Section 5.

Section 11: Ecologic Projects, by Dennis Oppenheim, a poster describing several large-scale environmental works.

Section 12: Strata: A Geographic Fiction, a poster with text by Robert Smithson.

Section 13: Parking Lot. Cover title: Detail of Surface. From Thirtyfour Parking Lots (1967) by Ed Ruscha.

Section 14: Aspen subscription form (often missing from other copies).

Individual issues of Aspen Magazine frequently have missing sections. But this issue is complete in all 14 sections and is therefore scarce as such. A terrific compilation of works by artists associated with the Fluxus experimental art community.

CONDITION: Outside folder has some toning, soiling, and edge wear. Contents are mostly Near Fine, with a few having some light toning. No. 12 has a 3-inch split along one fold. Overall, Very Good or better.