Gah
lber
g G
alle
ry
Thur
sday
, Oct
2 t
o Sa
turd
ay, N
ov. 8
, 200
3
AL
ISO
NK
NO
WL
ES
Col
lege
of D
uPag
e
A S
CU
LPTU
RE
OF
IND
ETE
RM
INA
CY:
Alis
on K
now
les’
Bea
ns a
nd V
aria
tion
s
Alis
on
Kno
wle
s’ w
ork
as
an a
rtis
t, s
pan
ning
a
per
iod
fro
m t
he la
te 1
950s
to
the
pre
sent
, has
mo
st o
ften
bee
n d
iscu
ssed
with
in t
he c
ont
ext
of
the
rad
ical
per
form
ance
act
iviti
es o
f Flu
xus.
Whi
leth
is h
isto
rical
fram
ewo
rk p
rovi
des
an
esse
ntia
l co
ntex
t fo
r K
now
les’
evo
lutio
n as
an
artis
t, it
fails
to a
cco
unt
for
the
siza
ble
bo
dy
of w
ork
she
has
pro
duc
ed o
utsi
de
of h
er F
luxu
s ac
tiviti
es. T
his
brie
f tex
t fo
cuse
s ex
clus
ivel
y o
n K
now
les’
rec
ent
wo
rk, n
ot
as a
n o
utg
row
th o
f Flu
xus
pur
e an
d
sim
ple
, but
as
a p
rod
uctio
n q
uite
dis
tinct
fro
m
that
of h
er 1
960s
co
lleag
ues,
and
one
tha
t ha
sre
tain
ed t
he in
fluen
ce o
f rad
ical
co
mp
ose
r Jo
hnC
age.
In s
hort
, it
is a
bo
dy
of w
ork
tha
t m
ight
b
e th
oug
ht o
f as
a Sc
ulp
ture
of I
ndet
erm
inac
y.U
nexp
ecte
d m
edia
— li
ke b
eans
, sho
e so
les,
te
xtua
l and
mus
ical
sco
re fo
rmat
s —
def
ine
this
dyn
amic
scu
lptin
g, b
ut it
s ul
timat
e fr
ame
and
stru
ctur
ing
ap
par
atus
is t
ime
itsel
f. B
y p
rop
osi
ngce
rtai
n le
itmo
tifs
to r
ead
the
wo
rk, t
he in
tent
ion
is n
ot
to fi
x it
into
a p
lace
, but
rat
her
to w
ork
as
it w
ork
s, t
hro
ugh
bo
und
arie
s an
d b
etw
een
the
gen
res
of c
onv
entio
nal a
rtis
tic p
ract
ice.
“Ind
eter
min
acy”
is a
pre
mis
e C
age
dev
elo
ped
in
the
co
ntex
t o
f mus
ic t
hat
was
tak
en u
p t
og
reat
er a
nd le
sser
deg
rees
by
a nu
mb
er o
f Flu
xus
artis
ts, b
ut d
evel
op
ed t
horo
ughl
y b
y K
now
les.
It
invo
lves
the
idea
tha
t an
art
ist
coul
d c
om
po
se
a w
ork
or
a p
erfo
rman
ce o
n th
e b
asis
tha
t th
ey
do
no
t d
eter
min
e ho
w it
will
act
ually
tur
n o
ut.
Co
ntra
dic
ting
the
no
tion
of “
mas
tery
” as
soci
ated
with
tra
diti
ona
l wo
rks
of a
rt, t
he r
adic
alis
m o
f thi
sco
ncep
t lie
s in
the
art
ist’s
will
ing
sur
rend
er o
f co
ntro
l. Th
e o
ther
key
feat
ure
we
find
in K
now
les’
art
is t
he r
elat
ed id
ea o
f an
utte
rly “
op
en”
wo
rk,
who
se o
nly
arm
atur
e is
the
tem
po
ralit
yan
d
focu
s th
at o
rgan
ize
it. A
dd
ed t
o in
det
erm
inac
yan
d o
pen
ness
, the
str
uctu
re o
f “p
erfo
rman
ce”
pro
vid
es b
oth
co
ncre
tene
ss a
nd m
ob
ility
to
the
diff
eren
t o
bje
cts
com
po
sed
by
Kno
wle
s. A
nd t
hear
tist’s
mat
eria
ls, d
isca
rded
/fo
und
ob
ject
s, b
eans
and
scu
lpte
d p
aper
pul
p (j
ust
to n
ame
a fe
w),
are
bro
ught
in c
onc
ert
with
form
s o
f rad
ical
sco
ring
and
the
reb
y re
inve
sted
with
mea
ning
; red
eem
ed,
thro
ugh
a ne
w r
ole
and
pur
po
se. T
he e
very
day
bea
uty
of t
he r
aw m
ater
ial c
alls
to
min
d t
he w
ord
so
f str
uctu
ral s
emio
log
ist
Ro
land
Bar
thes
, in
his
mem
ora
ble
des
crip
tion
of t
he J
apan
ese
artis
t/ar
tisan
/che
f, p
erfo
rmin
g t
he m
akin
g o
f tem
pur
a:
The
eel (
or
the
pie
ce o
f veg
etab
le, o
f she
llfis
h),
crys
talli
zed
in g
reas
e ...
is r
educ
ed t
o ..
. a c
olle
ctio
no
f per
fora
tions
: her
e th
e fo
od
stuf
f jo
ins
the
dre
amo
f a p
arad
ox:
tha
t o
f the
pur
ely
inte
rstit
ial o
bje
ct,
all t
he m
ore
pro
voca
tive
in t
hat
this
em
ptin
ess
isp
rod
uced
in o
rder
to
pro
vid
e no
uris
hmen
t ...
So
met
imes
the
pie
ce o
f tem
pur
a is
in s
tag
es ..
.b
ut t
he c
ont
our
is s
o li
ght
tha
t it
bec
om
esab
stra
ct: t
he fo
od
stuf
f has
for
its e
nvel
op
eno
thin
g b
ut t
ime,
the
tim
e (e
xtre
mel
y te
nuo
us,
mo
reo
ver)
whi
ch h
as s
olid
ified
it. (
...) r
efin
ed b
yth
e Ja
pan
ese
tech
niq
ues
of c
ance
llatio
n an
dex
emp
tion,
it is
the
nut
rient
of a
noth
er t
ime
...a
kind
of m
edita
tion,
as
muc
h sp
ecta
cula
r as
alim
enta
ry (s
ince
tem
pur
a is
pre
par
ed b
efo
reyo
ur e
yes)
... (
It is
) on
the
sid
e o
f the
lig
ht, t
heae
rial,
of t
he in
stan
tane
ous
, the
frag
ile, t
hetr
ansp
aren
t ...
but
who
se r
eal n
ame
wo
uld
be
the
inte
rstic
e w
itho
ut s
pec
ific
edg
es, o
r ag
ain:
the
emp
ty s
ign.
On
cove
r:Th
e B
ean
Ro
lls,
mix
ed m
edia
, 1963
(The
che
f’s) .
.. ac
tivity
is li
tera
lly g
rap
hic,
he
insc
ribes
the
foo
dst
uff i
n th
e su
bst
ance
; his
stal
l is
arra
nged
like
a c
allig
rap
her’s
tab
le; h
eto
uche
s th
e su
bst
ance
s lik
e th
e g
rap
hic
artis
t(e
spec
ially
if h
e is
Jap
anes
e) w
ho a
ltern
ates
pot
s,b
rush
es, i
nk s
tone
, wat
er, p
aper
; he
ther
eby
acco
mp
lishe
s ...
a h
iera
rchi
zed
arr
ang
emen
t,no
t o
f tim
e b
ut o
f ten
ses
(tho
se o
f a g
ram
mar
of t
emp
ura)
, mak
es v
isib
le a
n en
tire
gam
ut o
fp
ract
ices
, rec
ites
the
food
stuf
f no
t as
a fi
nish
edm
erch
and
ise.
.. b
ut a
s a
pro
duc
t w
hose
mea
ning
is n
ot
final
but
pro
gre
ssiv
e, e
xhau
sted
, so
to
spea
k, w
hen
its p
rod
uctio
n ha
s en
ded
: it
is y
ou
who
eat
, but
it is
he
who
has
pla
yed
, who
has
writ
ten,
who
has
pro
duc
ed.
fro
m R
ola
nd B
arth
es, T
he In
ters
tice
in E
mp
ire o
f Sig
ns.1
In t
he p
roce
ss o
f pap
erm
akin
g, p
artic
ular
ly t
hesh
apes
form
ed b
y th
e w
et p
ulp
as
it is
left
to
air
dry
are
res
pec
ted
and
bec
om
e in
dig
eno
usto
the
scu
lptu
re. I
n p
erfo
rman
ces,
I am
dra
wn
to o
bje
cts
for
thei
r so
und
. My
orc
hest
ra
cons
ists
of b
eans
, to
ys, p
aper
s an
d w
ord
s. (.
..)ea
ch in
stru
men
t co
mes
out
of s
ilenc
e m
akes
its
per
form
ance
and
ret
urns
to
sile
nce.
Alis
on
Kno
wle
s, S
tate
men
t.2
Like
the
Jap
anes
e ch
ef B
arth
es d
escr
ibes
,K
now
les’
rec
ent
wo
rk h
as t
he q
ualit
y o
f a li
fetim
eo
f dev
elo
pin
g a
cer
tain
eas
e an
d w
isd
om
with
afu
ll g
amut
of m
ater
ials
. The
quo
te a
bo
ve e
voke
sK
now
les’
pra
ctic
e w
ith a
ccur
acy
that
’s im
po
ssib
leto
eq
ual,
bec
ause
it r
epre
sent
s an
art
tha
t is
fully
inte
gra
ted
with
life
: mat
ter,
fuse
d w
ith t
ime.
Kno
wle
s’ m
atur
e w
ork
has
abou
t it
a fu
lly d
evel
oped
exp
erie
ntia
l pre
senc
e th
at h
as a
cced
ed t
o t
he
cond
itio
ns o
f ped
ago
gy,
but
one
of t
he h
ighe
st
ord
ers
— m
ore
Zen
less
on
than
sch
oo
l. Th
ere
is
an e
ffort
less
ness
with
whi
ch s
he “
reo
rient
s” h
ero
bje
cts,
shi
ftin
g t
hem
fro
m t
he in
alie
nab
le a
nd
rare
fied
sp
ace
of t
he m
useu
m w
all —
unh
esita
ting
lyw
ith h
er o
wn
hand
s —
pas
sing
the
m t
o t
he
aud
ienc
e, a
s th
oug
h it
was
the
ir rig
ht t
o k
now
them
. A h
ang
ing
she
et o
f scu
lpte
d p
aper
, with
its
ext
rao
rdin
ary,
rud
dy
top
og
rap
hy, b
egs
inte
nse
visu
al s
crut
iny,
lead
ing
the
eye
thr
oug
h its
man
ytr
ibut
arie
s an
d e
rup
tions
. And
the
n a
mo
men
tla
ter,
one
and
the
sam
e p
aper
pie
ce is
tra
nsfo
rmed
Th
e G
iant
Bea
n Tu
rner
(in
stru
men
t),
flax
, so
ybea
ns,
2000
into
an
inst
rum
ent:
an
Ad
uki B
ean
Turn
er o
r O
atFl
ax C
him
e. T
here
are
no
hie
rarc
hies
. A “
nois
e-m
aker
” b
elo
ngs
on
the
wal
l with
oth
er “
wo
rks
of
art”
and
a v
ast,
imp
ress
ive
exp
anse
of s
culp
ted
pap
er is
just
as
“at
hom
e” o
ut o
f the
fram
e,m
anip
ulat
ed b
y th
e cr
ow
d, a
ll its
inte
rnal
bea
nsra
cing
thr
oug
h it
apac
e.
“I d
on’
t ev
er w
ant
the
art
to b
e st
ill, f
inis
hed
,”sa
ys K
now
les.
“I w
ant
it to
be
avai
lab
le fo
rso
meb
od
y to
do
so
met
hing
els
e w
ith it
...
[som
ethi
ng] t
hat
I wou
ldn’
t ha
ve t
houg
ht o
f ...”
3
The
pap
er p
iece
s us
ed in
Kno
wle
s’ p
erfo
rman
ces
cons
titut
e an
ind
eter
min
ate
scul
ptu
reb
ecau
se, a
sK
now
les
exp
lain
s, in
all
mo
des
ty, “
I thi
nk t
he m
ain
thin
g I’
ve d
isco
vere
d a
bo
ut p
aper
in t
he p
ast
five
year
s is
tha
t it
form
s its
elf.
You
get
so
met
hing
whi
ch y
ou
coul
d n
ever
pre
dic
t.”4
All
of t
hem
bec
om
e re
mar
kab
le s
culp
tura
l ob
ject
s, o
nly
to
be
re-o
rient
ed a
nd n
arro
wed
do
wn,
to
tho
se t
hat
fit t
he b
od
y o
r ha
ve a
par
ticul
ar s
oun
d-m
akin
gca
pab
ility
. Of h
er h
ard
, whi
te s
hells
of p
aper
, titl
edR
ob
es o
f the
Sai
nts,
Kno
wle
s ex
pla
ins,
“I d
ried
abo
ut s
even
of t
hem
and
onl
y o
ne fi
t m
y ar
m.”
5
She
then
dem
ons
trat
es h
ow
she
saw
s o
n th
is a
rm-
shap
ed fo
rm t
o “
soun
d it
.” In
the
per
form
ance
s,K
now
les
giv
es t
he a
udie
nce
the
op
po
rtun
ity t
o d
oth
e sa
me.
To
enc
our
age
tho
se w
ho a
re u
nsur
e o
rin
hib
ited
, she
mak
es a
po
int
of h
and
ing
the
m h
erar
t, t
he p
aper
ob
ject
s th
ey m
ay b
e af
raid
to
to
uch,
giv
ing
the
m a
new
po
tent
ial o
ut o
f tha
t si
mp
leg
estu
re a
nd a
ct.
Gen
tle
Surp
rise
s fo
r th
e E
ar (
wit
h P
hilip
Co
rner
and
Bill
Fo
ntan
a),
foun
d o
bje
cts
tick
eted
fo
rso
und
, in
stal
lati
on
sho
t fr
om
Mus
eum
of
Co
ntem
po
rary
Art
, Lo
s A
ngel
es,
1975
The
Oni
on
Skin
So
ng(2
003)
is a
ctua
lly m
ade
bef
ore
the
eye
s o
f the
aud
ienc
e: P
iece
s o
f rea
lo
nio
n sk
in a
re s
and
wic
hed
in p
last
ic fi
lm fo
rmin
gan
env
ironm
enta
l sco
re. T
he o
nio
n sk
in is
the
uno
rtho
do
x m
ater
ial t
hat
pro
mo
tes
exp
erim
enta
lm
usic
al a
ctio
n, p
ersu
adin
g t
he p
erfo
rmer
aw
ayfr
om
old
mus
ical
hab
its, a
s a
trad
itio
nal s
core
neve
r co
uld
. So
me
read
its
natu
ral s
tria
tions
as
the
gra
phe
mes
of m
usic
al n
ota
tion,
whi
le o
ther
s ta
keth
e p
iece
s w
hole
as
a m
om
ent
of s
oun
d, t
he g
aps
bet
wee
n th
em s
igna
ling
sile
nce.
The
aud
ienc
eb
eco
mes
fully
invo
lved
, at
all l
evel
s o
f act
ion,
soun
din
g a
nd o
bse
rvin
g, a
nd s
oo
n no
one
can
te
ll th
e d
ance
r fr
om
the
dan
ce.
In a
rec
ent
stat
emen
t, K
now
les
des
crib
ed t
hep
roce
ss o
f dis
cove
ry in
her
wo
rk, w
ith t
hese
wo
rds:
... I
colle
ct s
hoe
heel
s ...
I am
no
t hu
ntin
g u
sual
ly, j
ust
rush
ing
to
get
som
ewhe
re li
ke e
very
bo
dy
else
, but
sud
den
ly,
unex
pec
ted
ly, a
kin
to t
he fo
und
item
, a fo
und
time
op
ens
up ..
.Th
e he
el I
pic
k up
... q
uick
ly, o
ffhan
ded
ly ..
.g
ets
stas
hed
in m
y p
ock
et. T
here
is a
pec
ulia
rch
emis
try
to t
he m
yste
rious
ter
rain
I fin
d m
ysel
fin
at
that
tim
e....
I lo
ve t
o s
urf t
he s
tree
t....
At
hom
e it
get
s cl
eane
d, s
tud
ied
, dra
wn
insi
lho
uett
e, p
erha
ps
scre
en p
rinte
d w
ith t
hena
me
of a
n an
imal
....
Yo
u kn
ow
tha
t sh
oe
heel
s ca
n’t
be
bo
ught
.N
ot
for
sale
any
whe
re. I
sn’t
it sp
ecia
l to
hav
ere
cog
nize
d t
he e
nerg
y ex
pen
ded
in t
he
sho
e he
el?
6
In t
hat
des
crip
tion,
she
def
ines
the
scu
lptu
re o
fin
det
erm
inac
yin
an
inim
itab
le m
anne
r th
at t
oo
k a
lifet
ime
to le
arn.
Fo
r it
is s
urel
y th
is “
foun
d t
ime”
that
Kno
wle
s ha
s al
way
s cr
eate
d in
her
wo
rk,
scul
ptin
g it
into
a fo
rm in
whi
ch a
pp
rehe
nsio
n is
po
ssib
le, a
tten
tiven
ess
to it
and
so
muc
h el
se,
mak
ing
bra
cket
s ar
oun
d it
so
it m
ight
no
t g
o b
yun
notic
ed. R
eco
gni
zing
“th
e en
erg
y ex
pen
ded
in
the
sho
e he
el”
seem
s lik
e an
ino
rdin
atel
y m
od
est
reck
oni
ng o
f a li
fe’s
wo
rk. B
ut t
hen
per
hap
s it
is n
ot.
5
Oni
on
Skin
So
ng(s
core
), p
erfo
rman
ce s
hot,
Sa
n Fr
anci
sco
Art
Ins
titu
te,
Ap
ril 2
003
6
No
rth
Sea,
colla
ge
wit
h sh
oe
sole
, 2002
Co
ntra
ry t
o m
ost
rea
din
gs
of K
now
les’
wo
rk, h
ero
wn
rep
rese
ntat
ions
incl
uded
, it
seem
s m
ore
and
mo
re a
pp
aren
t th
at s
uch
a p
roje
ct is
fund
amen
tally
po
litic
al(e
ven
anar
chic
al in
the
sen
se t
hat
Cag
ew
as c
om
mitt
ed t
o a
narc
hy, t
houg
h m
ore
sub
tle o
run
dec
lare
d).
It is
wo
rk a
gai
nst
all o
dd
s. T
he w
ay in
whi
ch it
res
tore
s tim
ean
d la
bo
rto
our
exp
erie
nce
of o
bje
cts
— b
e th
ey s
hoe
sole
s or
bea
ns a
nd p
aper
— is
par
tly c
aptu
red
by
Kno
wle
s’ s
tate
men
t, “
As
we
kno
w, t
ime
spen
t o
n sh
oes
is n
ever
was
ted
.”7
Beg
inni
ng a
t th
e m
om
ent
of p
op
art
, Kno
wle
s’w
ork
has
open
ed u
p t
ime
whe
re c
omm
odity
cul
ture
has
soug
ht t
o s
qua
nder
it, o
r er
od
e it
alto
get
her.
It h
as p
icke
d u
p t
he c
asto
ffs o
f tha
t sy
stem
, tho
seite
ms
sud
den
ly r
end
ered
“o
ut o
f the
run
ning
” (in
a
mar
ket
driv
en s
ense
) — t
he u
sed
, the
so
iled
, the
bro
ken
— a
nd in
duc
ted
the
m in
to a
hyp
oth
esis
abo
ut a
leve
l of e
xper
ienc
e th
at s
till m
ight
be
po
ssib
le, i
f eve
ryo
ne is
will
ing
to
per
form
.
Julia
Ro
bin
son
is a
cur
ato
r an
d a
rt h
isto
rian
bas
ed in
New
Yo
rk. S
he is
cur
rent
ly c
om
ple
ting
he
r d
oct
ora
l dis
sert
atio
n o
n Fl
uxus
art
ist
Geo
rge
Bre
cht
at P
rince
ton
Uni
vers
ity.
1R
ola
nd B
arth
es, T
he In
ters
tice,
in E
mp
ire o
f Sig
ns,
Ric
hard
Ho
war
d t
rans
latio
n, (N
ew Y
ork
: Hill
and
Wan
g,
1982
), 24
-26.
2K
now
les,
Sta
tem
ent
(200
3), u
npub
lishe
d t
yped
pag
eg
iven
to
me
by
the
artis
t.3
Kno
wle
s, in
terv
iew
with
the
aut
hor,
July
200
3.4
Kno
wle
s, in
terv
iew
with
the
aut
hor,
May
200
3.5
Kno
wle
s, ib
id.
6K
now
les,
acc
epta
nce
stat
emen
t, C
olle
ge
Art
Ass
ocia
tion:
Life
time
Ach
ieve
men
t A
war
d, N
ew Y
ork
, 200
3.7 K
now
les,
ibid
.
Alis
on
Kno
wle
sis
a b
orn
New
Yo
rker
who
ha
s tr
avel
ed t
o J
apan
, Eur
op
e, K
ore
a an
d t
heN
ethe
rland
s th
e p
ast
40 y
ears
to
per
form
on
her
ow
n o
r w
ith h
er F
luxu
s g
roup
. She
als
o m
akes
dire
ct im
age
sun
prin
ts a
nd fa
bric
ates
her
ow
np
aper
in a
stu
dio
in B
arry
tow
n, N
Y, a
sto
ne's
th
row
fro
m t
he H
udso
n R
iver
.
The
Gah
lber
g G
alle
ry/M
cAni
nch
Art
s C
ente
rw
oul
d li
ke t
o t
hank
art
ist
Alis
on
Kno
wle
s fo
r sh
arin
g h
er e
xper
ienc
es a
nd w
ork
with
the
co
mm
unity
at
Co
lleg
e o
f DuP
age.
Man
y th
anks
g
o ou
t to
the
writ
er, J
ulia
Rob
inso
n, a
nd c
o-cu
rato
rsSt
epha
nie
Gio
rdan
o a
nd C
orin
ne L
ouw
for
thei
rg
ener
ous
co
ntrib
utio
ns t
o t
his
pro
ject
.
Bar
bar
a W
iese
nD
irect
or
and
Cur
ato
r
This
pro
gra
m is
par
tially
sup
po
rted
by
a g
rant
fro
m t
heIll
ino
is A
rts
Co
unci
l, a
stat
e ag
ency
and
by
The
Nat
iona
lE
ndo
wm
ent
for
the
Art
s.
Gah
lber
g G
alle
ryM
cAni
nch
Art
s C
ente
rC
olle
ge
of D
uPag
e C
olle
ge
425
Faw
ell B
lvd
.G
len
Elly
n, IL
601
37(6
30) 9
42-2
321
ww
w.c
od
.ed
u/A
rtsC
ntr/
gal
lery
.htm
On
bac
k co
ver:
Stre
et E
mb
edm
ents
,1970
Dic
k's
Bro
wn
Bre
ad B
oo
k,m
ixed
med
ia 2
000
7
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