Ben Patterson facts for kids
Benjamin Patterson (born May 29, 1934 – died June 25, 2016) was an American musician and artist. He was also one of the important people who started the Fluxus movement. Fluxus was a group of artists who liked to mix different art forms, like music, theater, and visual art, often in playful and surprising ways.
Benjamin Patterson's Life Story
Benjamin Patterson was born in Pittsburgh on May 29, 1934. He went to the University of Michigan from 1952 to 1956. There, he studied how to play the contrabass (a very large string instrument), how to compose music, and how to direct films.
After college, it was hard for him to find a job playing in a symphony orchestra in the United States. So, he started playing with orchestras in Canada instead. From 1956 to 1960, he played the double bass for the Halifax Symphony Orchestra and the Ottawa Philharmonic Orchestra. He also played with the US Army Seventh Army Symphony Orchestra.
In 1960, Benjamin moved to Cologne, Germany. There, he became a big part of the new and exciting music scene. He met other artists like Nam June Paik. Through Paik, he met George Maciunas, who started the Fluxus movement. Benjamin helped organize the first Fluxus festivals in Europe. He was a founding member of Fluxus and took part in the very first Fluxus Festival in Wiesbaden in 1962.
Benjamin returned to New York in 1965. He decided to take a break from art to live a "normal life." Even though he took a break, his art was still shown in exhibitions. For example, his works were part of the Silverman Collection shows around the United States. He also participated in the São Paulo Biennale in 1983.
During his break from art, he worked in different cultural roles. He was a general manager for the Symphony of the New World (1970–72). He also worked for New York City's Department of Cultural Affairs (1972–74). Later, he was a director for the Negro Ensemble Company (1982–84) and Pro Musica Foundation Inc. (1984–86).
In 1988, Benjamin Patterson returned to the art world. He had a solo exhibition of his new artworks at the Emily Harvey Gallery in New York. He also took part in many Fluxus festivals and group exhibitions. Between 1988 and 2003, he had nine group shows and four solo shows at that gallery.
Benjamin said that artists like Robert Watts, George Brecht, and Dick Higgins were his biggest inspirations. His life and work were featured in a BBC Radio 4 series called An Alternative History of Art in 2018.
Selected Art Exhibitions
Benjamin Patterson's art was shown in many places around the world. Here are some of the exhibitions he was part of:
- Pianofortissimo (shown in Milan and Genoa)
- Ubi Fluxus ibi Motus (part of the Venice Biennale in 1990)
- Fluxus (shown in several Italian cities like Bolzano and Cortona)
- The Fluxus Constellation (at the Museum 'Arte Contemporanea di Villa Croce in Genoa)
- Wiesbaden Festival 2002
- 4TFLUXUS (in Paris)
- L'Avventura Fluxus (at the Museum of the Absurd – Castelvetro of Modena)
- Benjamin Patterson, Born in the State of FLUX/us, which was shown at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (2010-2011), The Studio Museum in Harlem (2011), and Nassauischer Kunstverein Wiesbaden (2012).
