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Higgins, Dick, 1938-1998

 Person

Dates

  • Existence: 1938 March 15 - 1998 October 25

Biography

Dick Higgins was born in Cambridge, England in 1939 and died in Quebec in 1998. He was a Fluxus artist who studied with John Cage and Henry Cowell (1958-1959), and co-founded Happenings in 1958. He is credited with coining the phrase intermedia to describe his particular approach to artmaking that included (but is not limited to) his visual, musical and literary efforts. He was a theorist, poet, composer, performance artist, printmaker, filmaker, and book publisher. Most notably, Higgins founded Something Else Press (1963-1974), operated the Something Else Gallery (1966-1969) and founded Unpublished Editions (Printed Editions) in 1972.

Nationality

American

Found in 21 Collections and/or Records:

A Basket of Chestnuts, 1981

 Item
Identifier: CC-10839-11049
Scope and Contents

G. Cook's translations fron "The Miscellanea of Venantius Fortunatus" is introduced by Dick Higgins who describes Fortunatus as "perhaps the greatest master of Christian poetry." Included in the book are six examples of emblem or shaped poems from the sixth century. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

Dates: 1981

A Primer of Happenings & Time/Space Art, 1965

 Item
Identifier: CC-27351-28080
Scope and Contents

This book was written by Hansen as a first-hand account of the Happenings of the 1960's and documents these now historic performances with photographs by Peter Moore. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

Dates: 1965

An Introduction to Book of the Tumbler on Fire , 1978

 Item
Identifier: CC-23789-24237
Scope and Contents

Edited by Henry Martin. "This Sentence is Weightless," a multiple held by the Sackner Archive is reproduced on page 60. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

Dates: 1978

Art A to Z Part One, 1977

 Item — Box Artist Boxed Materials/Oversized: Crozier, Robin: [Barcode: 31858072491362]
Identifier: CC-19212-19595
Scope and Contents

For this book, each artist was asked to contribute one page of autobiography and one page about anything beginning with the same initial letter as his surname. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

Dates: 1977

Dick Higgins Collection

 Collection
Identifier: MsC0790
Abstract

He was a Fluxus artist. This is an Alternative Traditions in Contemporary Art Collection (ATCA).

Dates: 1968-1993

Iuvenilia Loeti: Raccolta di Poeti Latini Medievali, 1969

 Item
Identifier: CC-20511-20908
Scope and Contents

This is a survey of medieval, Latin shaped poetry with critical text. Several pages by Rabano Mauro (Hrabamus Maurus) are reproduced from a book that is also held by the Sackner Archive. The marginata was inserted by Dick Higgins, the previous owner of this book. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

Dates: 1969

Measure-Cut-Stitch, 1989

 Item
Identifier: CC-09384-9570
Scope and Contents

Higgins reviews Ruth Laxson's book "Measure-Cut-Stitch," held by the Sackner Archive. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

Dates: 1989

Modular Poems, 1974

 Item
Identifier: CC-27280-27841
Scope and Contents

In his introduction, Higgins defines a modular poem "in which the principle structural factor is the repetion, usually in different contexts, of one of more elements of th text. Each element becomes a module which may be expanded, compressed or otherwise altered. Or not." The book is illustrated with photographs mainly of old machinery by Eugene Williams. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

Dates: 1974

Nowoczesnosc od czasu postmodernizmu, 2000

 Item
Identifier: CC-35764-37521
Scope and Contents

The book was edited by Piotr Rypson. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

Dates: 2000

Pattern Poetry: Guide To An Unknown Literature, 1987

 Item
Identifier: CC-36435-38228
Scope and Contents Although his inscription alludes to a second edition, this was not meant to be. In this first edition, first printing, Higgins tells the history of pattern poetry, documenting more than 2000 works. He divides the book by chapters such as Language and Literature, e.g., Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, French, German, Scandinavian, Dutch and Flemish, British, Hispanic, Polish, and Slavic. He also has a chapter on Languages outside European such as Far East, Citrakavyas and other Indian languages, Islamic, and Languages in which no pattern poetry has been reported. In another chapter, he descibes Acrostics, Telestics, Mesostics, Lapidary Inscriptions, Leonine Verse, Magical Inscriptions and Formulae, Mathematical Arrays and Poems, Musical Analogues of Pattern Poetry, Proteus Poems, Rebuses, Shaped Prose, and Sound Poetry. De. Herbert Francke contributes a chapter on Chinese Pattern Texts and Dr. Kalanath Jha on Sandscrit Citrakavyas. Higgins' glossary of terms follows...
Dates: 1987

Self Portrait, 1970

 Item
Identifier: CC-42087-44088
Scope and Contents

The text begins, "OMBWHNW ($5.95) is enigmatic like the title. It's 'bound like a prayer book.'" The book that it cites is Foew&ombwhnw published by Something Else Press in 1969. It is not known whether this print was ever editioned or the size of the edition. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

Dates: 1970

The Book of Hours and Constellations, 1968

 Item
Identifier: CC-10207-10408
Scope and Contents

Edited by Jerome Rothenberg. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

Dates: 1968