* 1927 in Detroit, † 1995 in New York City
American Artist Field: Conceptual art, Performance, Collage, Drawing Best known for: Mail Art (founder), "Moticos" (collages) Associated with: Fluxus, Neo-Dada, Pop Art
From 1961 on Ray Johnson periodically staged events he called "Nothings". It was concerned with an artistic attitude, which was opposed to the "happening" as it was expressed in the "happenings" of Allan Kaprow and later Fluxus events. Due to the carefully planned circumstances of his death by drowning, some consider Johnsons suicide as his last artistic "Nothing"-performance. Indeed, many aspects of his death are associated with the number 13: His age (6 +7 = 13), the date (Friday the 13th), the number 247 of the motel room, which he took that same day (2 +4 + 7 = 13) ...
Exhibited works:
Nothing by Ray Johnson. 1961 BF | A
| The first "Nothing" performance by Ray Johnson took place in July 1961 at the AG as part of the weekly event series (with works by La Monte Young, Henry Flynt and Walter De Maria) "Musica Antiqua et Nova", at a location in New York run by George Maciunas and Almus Salcius. At that time, it was showing the first solo exhibition by Yoko Ono. »[The gallery] was empty except for some bags of plaster and some stacks of lumber and wall boards … and we stood or sat around on these supplies while visitors began to enter the premises. Most of them looked quite dismayed that nothing was going on… when those who arrived and wanted to know what was happening we all spoke up and said “Nothing.” Well, finally Ray arrived. He hadn’t been there up to this point, and he brought with him a large corrugated cardboard box of wooden spools which he probably picked up from the discard junk of a factory in Soho. Soon after arriving Ray emptied this box of spools down the staircase that led to the gallery. Thus with these wooden spools, about eight or ten inches long, covering the steps one had to step cautiously to avoid slipping down the staircase and possibly breaking one’s neck.« (1) | |
Second Nothing. 1962 BF | A | There are no descriptions of the second "Nothing" performance that took place in N Maidman Playhouse in New York. But there are the photos that show Johnson in a dark room, lit by a spotlight. And there is the following text, typewritten on a paper, which seems to be the performance script, although the "instructions" are anything but clear: Second Nothing 1. Dear Cora Baron, Joseph Cornell has bangs. Bang, bang. 2. Dear Gloria Graves, When it rains, it pours. I have a hat for you. 3. Dear Malka Safro, Smoke in bed. 4. Dear Alison Higgins, Advertisements for Myself and Alison Higgins paintings. | |
Links Ray Johnson Estate | Richard L. Feigen Gallery | Kinz + Tillou Fine Arts | Futher informations 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 Quotes (1) Ed Plunkett Credits All reproductions © Ray Johson Estate |