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Much Ado About "Nothings" : Ray Johnson And Fluxus, Tracy Ditolla

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Ray Johnson was a performance and collage artist who had a career that spanned six decades, yet there is relatively little known or written about him. After interviewing his friends and acquaintances I will bring to light new information and insights on Johnson’s work. In this thesis I discuss the performance art of Johnson and compare it to pieces by Fluxus and Happenings artists. I also address the influences that Zen Buddhism had on his life and work as well as his rejection of the established art world. I argue that Johnson was possibly the only artist to date who …