Studying for Art 101

while studying for my final in art 101 (holy 18 year olds!) i came across this short description of a fellows work by the name of alan kaprow. he pioneered a style of art called 'happenings' in which there were seldom spectators, rather they became participants as the art was done as a performance art peice (the art is in the doing by participants.)

"In the Happening 'Household', there were no spectators, only participants, and the event was choreographed in advance by Kaprow. The site was a dump near Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. At 11 AM on the day of the Happening, the ment who were participating built a wooden tower of trash, while the women built a nest of sapling and string. A smoking, wrecked car was towed onto the site, and the men covered it with strawberry jam. The women, who had been screeching inside the nest, came out to the car and licked the jam as the men destoryed their nest. Then the men returned to the wreck, and slapping white bread over it, began to eat the jam themselves. As the men ate, the women destroyed their tower. Eventually, as the men took sledgehammers to the wreck and set it on fire, the animosity between the two groups began to wane. Everyone gathered and watched until the car was burned up, and then left quietly. What this Happening means, precisely, is not entirely clear, but it does draw attention to the violence of relationships between men and women in our society and the frightening way in which violence can draw us together as well as drive us apart."

i for one would like to share a few observations:

1. i like to imagine those kids walking away from the 'performance.' what do you say to one another after participating in something like that? "so.............."
2. when someone asks you later on that night, "so, what did you do today?" "........."