Allan Kaprow
- Introduction
- Allan Kaprow (August 23, 1927 – April 5, 2006) was an American painter, assemblagist and a pioneer in establishing the concepts of performance art. He helped to develop the "Environment" and "Happening" in the late 1950s and 1960s, as well as their theory. His Happenings — some 200 of them — evolved over the years. Eventually Kaprow shifted his practice into what he called "Activities", intimately scaled pieces for one or several players, devoted to the study of normal human activity in a way congruent to ordinary life. Fluxus, performance art, and installation art were, in turn, influenced by his work.
- Wikidata
- Q366380
- Introduction
- Kaprow began his career as an Abstract Expressionist, creating "action collages" which used materials such as newspaper and straw. However, after studying musical composition under John Cage at the New School for Social Research, he focused his attention on "Happenings", and what he termed "Environments", which were sculptural installations (ie: "Yard" of 1961, which was a space filled with car tires that a viewer could walk over). In 1968, Kaprow began using the term "Activity" instead of Happening, and his work became more concerned with physical activities that could be performed by all, such as his work "The Perfect Bed", where participants took their favorite bed and moved it outdoors.
- Nationality
- American
- Gender
- Male
- Roles
- Artist, Installation Artist, Painter, Performance Artist, Sculptor, Video Artist
- Names
- Allan Kaprow, Alan Kaprow
- Ulan
- 500031037
Exhibitions
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Judson Dance Theater: The Work Is Never Done
September 16, 2018–
February 3, 2019 MoMA
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Robert Rauschenberg: Among Friends
May 21–
September 17, 2017 MoMA
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There Will Never Be Silence: Scoring John Cage’s 4′33″
October 12, 2013–
June 22, 2014 MoMA
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Thing/Thought: Fluxus Editions, 1962–1978
September 21, 2011–
January 16, 2012 MoMA
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Book/Shelf
March 26–
July 7, 2008 MoMA
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Allan Kaprow has 14 exhibitionsonline.
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Various Artists, Pierre Alechinsky, Karel Appel, Enrico Baj, Alan Davie, Jim Dine, Öyvind Fahlström, Sam Francis, Robert Indiana, Alfred Jensen, Asger Jorn, Allan Kaprow, Kiki (Kiki O. K.) Kogelnik, Alfred Leslie, Roy Lichtenstein, Joan Mitchell, Claes Oldenburg, Mel Ramos, Robert Rauschenberg, Jean-Paul Riopelle, James Rosenquist, Antonio Saura, Kimber Smith, K.R.H. Sonderborg, Walasse Ting, Bram van Velde, Andy Warhol, Tom Wesselmann 1¢ Life 1964
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Various Artists, George Brecht, Allan D'Arcangelo, Jim Dine, Stephen Durkee, Lette Eisenhauer, Stanley Fisher, Sam Goodman, Red Grooms, Robert Indiana, Allan Kaprow, Roy Lichtenstein, Boris Lurie, Claes Oldenburg, James Rosenquist, George Segal, Richard Stankiewicz, Wayne Thiebaud, Andy Warhol, Robert Watts, Robert Whitman The International Anthology of Contemporary Engraving: The International Avant-Garde, Volume 5: America Discovered (Anthologia internazionale dell'incisione contemporanea: L'Avanguardia internazionale: Volume 5: Scoperta dell'America) 1962–64, published 1964
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Allan Kaprow Untitled (plate 10) from The International Anthology of Contemporary Engraving: The International Avant-Garde, Volume 5: America Discovered (Anthologia internazionale dell'incisione contemporanea: L'Avanguardia internazionale: Volume 5: Scoperta dell'America) 1964
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Allan Kaprow Untitled (Calling) (1965)
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Allan Kaprow Untitled (Tree) (1965)
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Various Artists, Eric Andersen, Ay-O, George Brecht, Giuseppe Chiari, Congo (a Chimpanzee), Willem de Ridder, Anna Halprin, Dick Higgins, Allan Kaprow, Alison Knowles, Jirí Kolár, Arthur Köpcke, Jackson Mac Low, George Maciunas, Nam June Paik, Benjamin Patterson, Tomas Schmit, Mieko Shiomi, Ben Vautier, Robert Watts, Emmett Williams, La Monte Young Construction of European Mail-order Warehouse/Fluxshop 1984 construction after 1964-65 photograph
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Allan Kaprow Prototype for Calling 1966
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Various Artists, Joseph Beuys, René Block, Claus Bremer, Henning Christiansen, Hans Joachim Dietrich, Ludwig Gosewitz, Dick Higgins, Bernhard Höke, Allan Kaprow, Franz Mon, Benjamin Patterson, Eckart Rahn, Gerhard Rühm, Vagelis Tsakiridis, Ben Vautier, Wolf Vostell, ZAJ dé-coll/age, no. 5 1966
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Allan Kaprow How to Make a Happening 1966
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Allan Kaprow Cocktail Table 1967
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Various Artists, G. Altorjay, Mary Bauermeister, Peter O. Chotjewitz, Al Hansen, Dick Higgins, Bernhard Höke, Allan Kaprow, Milan Knížák, Alison Knowles, Kurt Kren, Jean-Jacques Lebel, Marshall McLuhan, Gustav Metzger, Franz Mon, Peter Moore, Nam June Paik, Helmut Rywelski, Dieter Roth, Daniel Spoerri, Jean Tinguely, Ben Vautier, Wolf Vostell, Stefan Wewerka, Bill Wilson dé-coll/age, no. 6 1967
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Allan Kaprow Pose, March 22, 1969 Continued 1970 – from Artists & Photographs 1969–70, published 1970
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Various Artists, Mel Bochner, Christo, Jan Dibbets, Tom Gormley, Dan Graham, Douglas Huebler, Allan Kaprow, Michael Kirby, Joseph Kosuth, Sol LeWitt, Richard Long, Robert Morris, Bruce Nauman, Dennis Oppenheim, Robert Rauschenberg, Edward Ruscha, Robert Smithson, Bernar Venet, Andy Warhol Artists & Photographs 1965–70, published 1970
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Various Artists, Ay-O, George Brecht, Congo (a Chimpanzee), Robert Filliou, Anna Halprin, Hi Red Center, Takehisa Kosugi, Joe Jones, Allan Kaprow, Alison Knowles, Shigeko Kubota, György Sándor Ligeti, George Maciunas, Jackson Mac Low, Yoko Ono, Benjamin Patterson, Tomas Schmit, Mieko Shiomi, Ben Vautier, Robert Watts, Emmett Williams, La Monte Young Fluxus 1 c. 1976
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