Chapter 6

1961
Allan Kaprow

• One of the many who organized a number of spontaneous, interactive performances
• Happenings blurred the lines between audience and artist, and between genres and mediums.
  
• the form is open-ended and fluid
• there is no obvious purpose or goal; the process is what's important
• they are ephemeral
• creates an organic connection between art and its environment
• the act of chance and spontenaity are of utmost importance, happenings are generally unscripted or very sparsely thought out
• no need for the patronage system that is corrosive to art, and are thus ultimately liberating

The creation of happenings calls into question authorship and allows for a more open, participatory definition of art.