4 Flux Drinks c. 1967

Curator: Here we have "4 Flux Drinks" by Per Kirkeby, part of the Fluxus movement, housed in a small box, roughly 9 by 12 centimeters. The stark black and white imagery is quite striking. Editor: Yes, my first impression is of almost brutal simplicity—a rough, almost woodcut-like quality that feels very immediate. What do we know about its creation? Curator: Kirkeby, though known for larger works, engaged with the Fluxus ethos by creating these multiples. The box itself becomes part of the artwork, questioning traditional art mediums. It looks like a very thin printing process on basic paper. Editor: The image of the face drinking…it's interesting how it evokes both intimacy and alienation. Drinking as a ritual, perhaps, a symbol of shared experience corrupted by the stark presentation? Curator: And the text itself, the "4 Flux Drinks," becomes an almost absurd commodity. Editor: Seeing it this way, it's less about the individual object and more about the means of production. It also feels connected to art for the masses, the spirit of Fluxus, but the materials are simple, and the printing appears to be rudimentary. Curator: A fascinating collision of high art aspirations and low art materials. Editor: I see a ghost of cultural commentary within these lines, a challenge to the viewer to find value.