Alison Knowles: Journal of the Identical Lunch (1971)

“A journalistic account of a series of performances of a single piece. The book begins with a description of ‘the identical lunch’ which consists primarily of ‘a tunafish sandwich on wheat toast with lettuce and butter, no mayo, and a large glass of buttermilk or a cup of soup.’ These were eaten ‘many days of each week at the same place and at about the same time.’ After this description, and a reproduction of a restaurant check for the same (total, with tax, $1.68, for two) there follows a series of accounts of the performance of this ‘identical lunch’ by Susan Hartung, John Giorno, Dick Higgins, Vernon Hinkle, and others. Many of these accounts have dates, some identify the place and circumstances and difficulties or rewards of the performance. The accounts are recorded in different formats – perhaps by the original performers – using typewriter, typesetting, handwriting, and so forth. The book collects records of lunches which both are and are not identical.” (Source)

First published in The Outsider, nos. 1-5.

Publisher Nova Broadcast Press, San Francisco, 1971
[68] pages
via Artists’ Books Online

PDF (36 MB)
JPGs

Wolf Vostell: Miss Vietnam (1969)

Contains “Genesis and Iconography of My Happenings”, “Miss Vietnam”, and “Hommage to Durer”.

Translated by Carl Weissner
Publisher Jan Jacob Merman / Nova Broadcast Press, San Francisco, 1969
Nova Broadcast series, 2
37 pages
via Reality Studio

PDF (6 MB)

George Brecht: Water Yam (1963)

“Originally published in Germany, June 1963 in a box designed by George Maciunas and typeset by Tomas Schmit, Water Yam has been re-published in various countries several times since. It is now considered one of the most influential artworks released by Fluxus. The box, sometimes referred to as a Fluxbox or Fluxkit, contains a large number of small printed cards, containing instructions known as event-scores, or fluxscores. Typically open-ended, these scores, whether performed in public, private or left to the imagination, leave a lot of space for chance and indeterminancy, forcing a large degree of interpretation upon the performers and audience.” (Wikipedia)

Publisher Fluxus, c1963
Designer George Maciunas
Cardboard box with offset label, containing 69 offset cards
via a

WorldCat

PDF (30 MB)