James Riddle | E.S.P. Fluxkit

James Riddle

E.S.P. Fluxkit

New York City, USA: Fluxus, 1966

3.5 x 4.75 x .75 cm.

Edition size unknown

A plastic box with a George Maciunas designed label containing a number of coloured cards. An instruction sheet reads: “DOP Instructions/Blindfold yourself securely and rub your fingers lightly over the colored papers. With practice you can learn to distinguish between the colors.”

In a letter to Paul Sharits dated July 1966, Maciunas wrote “Fluxus has no position on [William S.] Burroughs or psychedelics. Jim Riddle (a flux man) is very interested in psychedelics, ESP, LSD, etc. has done two Flux events last summer. One was ESP event across the country (by mail). Interesting results. [Brion] Gysin piece included for itself, not for his position on junk”.  

Jon Hendricks' Fluxus Codex notes that E.S.P. Fluxkit was "issued as an individual edition, and is a component of some Fluxkits and most copies of Flux Year Box 2”. It was also produced as an envelope edition (see earlier post, here, and below). 

The work - which originally was offered for sale for $3.00 - is held in numerous collections, including the Walker, MoMA, The University of Iowa Libraries, and Harvard Art Museum.

James Riddle | Instant Happenings

James Riddle
Instant Happenings
Self-published, [circa] 1964
6.5 x 3.7 x 3.7 cm.
Edition size unknown

Produced by the artist and distributed by Fluxus, Instant Happenings consists of Morning Glory seeds, which can be a hallucinogen if consumed in sufficient quantities. The work is sometimes referred to as "Mind Event in Bottle".

This week on Tumblr: Fluxus bottles and jars

http://artistsbooksandmultiples.tumblr.com/tagged/fluxus-jars

Flux Post Kit 7

[Fluxus]
Flux Post Kit 7
New York City, USA: Fluxus, 1968
17.9 x 13.5 x 4.8 cm.
Edition size unknown

In March of 1967, a Fluxus newsletter included a call to artists to submit works for a forthcoming Flux-postal kit. The eventual work consisted of repackaged earlier Fluxus projects, such as stamps by Bob Watts and postcards by Watts and Vautier, as well as three new rubber stamps: Ken Friedman's Inconsequential is Coming, James Riddle's Everything and Ben Vautier's Ben Certifies this to be a work of Fluxart. Contents varied in the kits, and some would also include selections from Robert Filliou and Daniel Spoerri's Monsters are Inoffensive cards, cards by George Brecht, etc. etc.

The plastic box featured an offset label designed by George Maciunas, who compiled the kit. It is unclear what the 7 in the title refers to. The kit initially sold for $8, or $2 without the rubber stamps.

James Riddle E.S.P.

James Riddle
E.S.P.
New York City, USA: Fluxus, 1967
9 x 5.5 cm.
Edition size unknown

“DOP Instructions/Blindfold yourself securely and rub your fingers lightly over the colored papers. With practice you can learn to distinguish between the colors.”

This work was released as at least four different Fluxkits (with minor differences between them) and
was issued in some Fluxkits and most copies of Flux Year Box 2. This envelope only version is from the Fondazione Bonotto collection.

The Fluxkit version can be seen in an earlier post, here.

James Riddle | E.S.P. Fluxkit

James Riddle
E.S.P. Fluxkit
New York City, USA: Fluxus, 1966
3.5 x 4.75 x .75 cm.
Edition size unknown

A plastic box with a George Maciunas designed label containing a number of coloured cards. An instruction sheet reads: “DOP Instructions/Blindfold yourself securely and rub your fingers lightly over the colored papers. With practice you can learn to distinguish between the colors.”

Jon Hendricks' Fluxus Codex notes that E.S.P. Fluxkit was "issued as an individual edition, and is a component of some Fluxkits and most copies of Flux Year Box 2".

The work is held in numerous collections, including the Walker, MoMA, The University of Iowa Libraries, and Harvard Art Museum.