Bowdoin College Museum of Art | - Untitled, "Magist"

Preview image of work. glass jar, white granular material (likely sugar), paint, Untitled, "Magist" 26077

2013.21.42

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Untitled, "Magist"

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Artists

William Anastasi (Philadelphia, PA, b. 1933 - ); Ken Friedman (New London, Connecticut, 9/19/1949 - )

Title

Untitled, "Magist"

Creation Date

n.d.

Century

20th-early 21st century ?

Dimensions

5 1/2 x 4 1/4 in. (13.97 x 10.8 cm)

Classification

Sculpture

Creation Place

North America, United States

Medium and Support

glass jar, white granular material (likely sugar), paint

Credit Line

Dorothy and Herbert Vogel Collection

Copyright

This artwork may be under copyright. For further information, please consult the Museum’s Copyright Terms and Conditions.

Accession Number

2013.21.42

Through the use of everyday materials, Ken Friedman, a leading Fluxus artist, creates a sculptural homage to the Vogels. On the side of the jar one reads in German, “Kunst-Vogel-Schau [Vogel Art Show]/Herbie + Dorothy,” a possible reference to exhibitions of the Vogels’s collection in the mid-1970s. The letters on the lid of the jar, “MAGIST/RA/ER,” a playful use of language typical of Fluxus and conceptual art more broadly, may refer simultaneously, using Latin, to Dorothy and Herb as leaders—or, a “magist-ra” and a “magist-er” respectively. Enclosed within the jar appears to be salt, a tribute to the “salt of the earth” character of the Vogels. Indeed, the liberal use of hearts on the jar demonstrates the strong affection with which the artist regarded both collectors.