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Lake Valhalla Cold Spring, New York, 10516 June 1, 1970 Letters to the Editor Artforum 667 Madison Avenue New York, New York 10022 Sir: To commemorate the young men and woman murdered at Kent State and Jackson State Universities by local and state legal functionaries, I have decided to dedicate publicly-internationally my installation proposed for the forthcoming Venice Biennale. I regard this notice as an affirming declaration of what I, as artist, can reply effectively and especially. Certainly, there is much more to be attempted after these summary tragedies, too. (And I will have to try again as best I can.) But also I have chosen this declarative means in installation first, because, contrary to the opinions of too many angry artists lately, I don't believe in the abrupt removal and subsequent deprivation of art in hysterical reaction to the recent hysterical acts of repression of unpopular political dissent throughout the nation as unanimous pertinent approach. Once again, as in the past, I appeal, however ironically and with prior apprehension about encouraging just another artists' organizational muddle, to my American artist colleagues to use comprehensively unifying situations such as these adverse ones to determine to organize their own constituency (perhaps on artists' equity type of grouping) to affect their own affairs as completely as may become possible. (Recently, in the Museum of Modern Art Auditorium, Congressman Ed Koch recommended almost as much but mainly for political concerns.) And the Art Workers Coalition, formed haphazardly to protest only presumed Museum of Modern Art staff exhibition installation misconduct and now so preponderantly and over-emphatically misdirected to national political and racist causes and accordingly disorganizedly subdivided by their cranky little "scenic" left out "special interest" groups cannot be expected presently to provide for so many of the efforts necessary to self-direct artists' affairs thoughtfully and purposefully. And this time around, let's exclude irrelevant critics, historians, museum personnel, dealers, et al, even though they may attempt to assume undeclared artistic positions covertly (and overtly) from time to time and, for some of the more ambitious interlopers, much more often than that - and may even have become or purported to be our "best friends". Well, why procrastinate, let's begin to get together - for all sorts of effects. Dan Flavin Dan Flavin P.S. For instance, haven't so many young artists desperately-dispairingly in need of funds to live, to research their arts, sadly noticed that year after year so many awards and grants with money are disproportionately accorded to various well-organized, well-publicized performing arts groups even the most out-dated precious preservation societies for the ballet sometimes called troupes. Well, I reiterate, gather ye together fellas and gals and ask to prosper. So often, those who could provide simply don't know that you exist.
