Disappearing Flux - Music for Faces, 1965

Disappearing Flux-Music for Face was originally a performance piece created by Shiomi in 1964. The action comprised of a face slowly transitioning from smile to non-smile. Two years later George Maciunas got access to a high-speed scientific analysis camera and challenged Fluxus artists to create a conceptual work that could be filmed on it. Fluxus artist and photographer Peter Moore used it to film Yoko Ono smiling for Shiomi’s filmed work. Images from the high speed camera, when projected at normal speed produced an extreme slow-motion effect. And the 8 seconds of Ono footage became an 11 minute Fluxus film. Maciunas had hoped to turn every Fluxus film into a flip book, but his ideal was never realised. Shiomi’s film, Fluxfilm No.4 was however, subsequently offset printed and staple bound, with envelope and produced as an Edition of 79.

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