r

20

JUST DOING
Allan Kaprow

rlr ye¡rs I've bee¡ trying to pick up my 3h¡dow o¡ a slmy ¿a), to put ¡t ¡n my pockei for ¡
rainy day. I r€member to do rlüs now úd rlen. rt,s heen dimolt. A;d to rel ie truth. r,"€
¡ever succeedéd. The 3hadow chúges 6 I bend over, and I ün\ quite compress ir to 6t into

(Át tú"¿, 1987_)

o¡ üe sañe $bjed, I ¡nd a friend, t¡e húsicio Jed_ch*les Frocois, djd sm¡ll eve¡ts
for 6ch other in tne 1980s to pbüde mme djve.sion f¡on oú a<tninistr¡tive duries at
tle Uliversity of California, Sú Diego. We did them togeth€r, usualt) jüsr üe two of w,
sonetihB witi ¿ fs othss. Ttis oh€ involved ou going out to tle hits eñr of tl¡€ üi
versity cáDpus. Tl¡e idea was r}tár ooe ofus {outd follow dre othcr wiiholt sFg a word,
or¡ly making súé to step constedy on tl¡e sh.dow or th€
"t})e¡ -"tter *h.i" hi" *ent.
ID pnctie, sinc€ the le¡der wotrtd go over boutde¡s, arcúd"ooctú. úd up úd d<m
Eúnes, tl¡e logü dd relatjle posirion of ihe shadow chdged. Soñerimes ir ws i¡ f.o¡t of
hiD, if Ie was walking ¡w¿y f¡om the sD. In tl¡at 6e, it was a bit Íicky; rie folower had
to jump in Fonr of the ¡€add md walk backqrds to téep the sl,adoe in view, Dakjng qück
choges as üe leader rog ound to diflere¡t direcrio¡s. Aúo¡ding to pld, üe-tedd
h¡d ¡o obligatio. to rhe tollowei
At cert¡in ñomeDt¡, for cxampte, whe¡ wathng up a rawin€, the sbadd would be
shdtoed by t]'e angle of tl¡e g¡oDd. Th€¡ we euld find oús€lves nearly on top or
one anorler, our shoes rou.hin& W¡en tle foUower lost mntact wirh the shadow (d ir
Iieqüotly happened), he @uld loudly bang togetler two stobes he crrjed i¡ his hdds _

Thjs sngl€ $úd hd.ed üe homent wheh re exchdged positio¡s: üe folowr be(me
tle l6dd. But of@qk, ws lor s ofto, dd the distecs Lept clnging, ¡t all
since cont¡ct
gor pretq úcler d ro who wd what. Neverüetes, n wa very forrDlly exdr.d_
(k wogging Do|.19851

Ludwig Tbúmer, Búbú¡ cls, Coryt Cruq and I we¡e togetl¡er in Berl'D. Ludwjg dd
B¿rbd¡ h¿d ¡ new baby we *úr toru k¿lt b toot fo,
--" ."* E*., u
Soon we foúd a pelect ñetd ot youg ¡hoots. Coryl úd B b*á, 6ryihg'i.." "*,p;,g.
hd bóhy, walked
 ALLAN KAPROW

h
.l.sl! inlo lt.le¿nns (ler fooaútr' Lodüg sd I lñllo$ed Plúibg ou 'h@! "r¡cdy
c* Uelore dh *eP' *e rcrhed b<hsJ b !u l¡ft uP rh' tláRuncd
'* "l-. ¿""*".*i rt *s v"r¡ oddr
il;;iü;. ';;,,;" -dts werF teh Aherwúds roorong at rhe ñerd
it 3eem€d úar we'd nevd been thefe
(warhnS bSht on th' wo'ld' 1982'

cxperrm'ntn an A ldgc rcd @

A t€w r"ds as", ¡ srouP toined me lor ¿ rcrLrhoP in
,* *'i. l"' ,,1. ¡ní,r'" *uál ,ntroducno$ {whor con'er¡on¿l rorm 'M} ll ew6-üát
E

wit; the light swit'h Thé ide

* *t ,"* * - ".**1, wé decided to Play
,"""". ," ,-f'. ,-- -¡¿ *r up trom where they were s¡nm8 Úd rurn ofi ti€ ligh's H¡v
$
r.í, n "",ra *. ** Then. úyóne (ould rm it on Then off rhrn ob' ód
-pi*ed
ñ.i'.-t.." *,'"0" .r rollo*cd Altháugh thm w'R do suideli'e! ¡bo cildce' no
"i'. ¿r on€ dothrr' E¡ng ro útroPcte
"'. f*."t", -oa r'"- p@PIe breadlng we P"ekedat someode' challengirg then' to 3ee
*t o *,1¿ -":." *" n"tt .ov€ SométiDes * stdéd
who wuld wa¡t üe longest.
'p-4"
ro -¿ oin¿ witi üe qwitch tuchng the lighr' m ehl) ch ging
itback
"., hrs¡ge Equ¿lv th e werc 15 minures or mo'e or dohe
-a r"i,t',-* 'rL -.'.y*me ** t€r rcom whd ür)
l-J"* "¡y ¡t* g'*n - "a"J*
'ir'" ú,r -¡*e ourd üe
Aher ¡bout two sd ¡ h¿ll hous
r,"a miT'".-p*,-.^' *'-""rd úd when ro one rruined
n¡¡r in ti€ room when I left l silt b üe
I h"d to s¡*'a ¡¡lt elsFwherP. IXse wcrP
d,p..t ,fi-., tn" hctu. sd necr he¡rd when üe room bec¿me emPtl
'* ,on/of,t9ga,

The Dl¿\srcsd tor experimenul úr is ordindv lifr' 8ur Ph¡ng h ü3 ordiN). Úrld
more reatues of the 'omonP¡Ñ üm se re ¿he¿dv
b.d
¿*"..1--.- .¿.¿'i -"n Such appo
i" n'i'" r "-l'¡...i. -ncert, poems' dues mm ud perfcmoes
*. *¡tesi; tr¡t Ün üfe into ür' No m¿ner how much lfe tr
"',,t-""".^
I"J-", *... ""¿u*u st{ddd ;onkxts n*ei állo* u" ro lors{ Ú " hghtr surion ln
' ".u -tbt who Plays with ü€ co@onplace does so in üe verv nidst
.i**'"" ""rh"".p*t.*."r
".."-i, l.*, - *." " 'ho'l'e rh're " - q-rPús úd reeñeting ü'm onthe¿
u*., *i*^*u.g.i"- t " Art ir thu estlv lorgonen And th¿t ie
' 't'"*
.on'dition lo. *p.n-."uri"n th' dt N üe lorgetbng old'
t be
ror tohn c¿s;. d expsimuul aoon rn mus¡c "u one *hose outome 'ould¡
k ;;; ;;-:; (ry p*phrue). Múical d¡l nomuic¡l súd r"no¡el were
'qu¡rlv
*.i-*, "r-r w:i'tieir--pr.diaabr" úrúseñentr' But' ror thé mostArt Pdt' case's
dperinertal ;sic wd still úuic' úd took Plrcé in üe oúcert sitution
w áuto
ñ;t¡cally af6rñed ddPite c¡ge s co¡mitnent to rh' stuff ol
life But tlEt wd üe I950s
and t wú ¿ b's st€e ¡nto üe vernú¡lü
r..l* *. ,i* *, r¡¡ exp*imental *r r üI rct or thought whor identiq
qü
d Úr mu$
..-". ''i ¿*, 1¡"; ody does tlns hold tor útom eho Pl¿)i thÉ "ü!B'i it
"l*r"
holds espec,¡lly lor ür'útist'l The rs not to Poq*s ¡ ünst')
'n
dFrP
':penment '5eaet

160
 JUST DO¡N C

disguici ir i, not knowing kh¡t to c¡tt ¡t at d), tiné! As soon _ añd it ú uualy lery s@n -
ú such ts úd rhoughrs se soci¡tcd wiü üt ed ¡t5 üscouses, ¡t ir tj¡r¿ to urde otr 10
otier po$ibiliti$ of experimentation.

A mlÚ ¡g¡cd üat she reeded guidece. Her triends propo*d to giv€ it bl/ hoving he. in
So she jut stoo¿ ud waited to b€ moved. Hs f¡i€n& ha¡t ¡ di;usion
üe righr directioN.
úd decided oh some right di¡ectioc for her; that ú, out tle door, dom rhe sta¡rs, ¡lorg
a riv* . . . Théy moved hér by pul¡ing, 3hoving, dhgging, Md trying hq in üé right
düections. T[ey ser side some d¡ys for dns, d r]'eir decisions were quit€ seriou. A;d,
üturally, ther¿ were sme disagftmenrr. But üe mme % parient and jút Mit€d util
th€y agfted on what ro do.
(H.IP k AlwI' Wkoh¿, t990)

In mtrer ro my suggdrion to Bri¡ Dick üat he night üke to do üe stupidest th¡ng he

@uld üi.l of, úd üo the smütdt - he h@g ¡ roonful or big pickle from a ceiling,
wnppihg üem with el€cric wire atbcled to üe houe (Meút. Wh€n he tu¡ñ€d on the
witch, the piclles gltud d sent out blue spúk betor€ bün¡ng out dd sDelling bad
Then, for his lmart$t" thine, [e repeted üe whoté proccdue t]re next day.
(1990)

Pl¡),, oI course, is at the heañ ot €xpüiment¡tion. Elsewhere, I,v€ pointed oúr the @cial
diffelenc in üe English ldgu¡ge b€rween p¡¡Iing ed gm¡ng (1993i 110 26). cúi¡g
involves wiming or losingdsired goal. Pláyi¡g is op€n-cnded úd, porenti¡Iy, ererybody
a
'wiN." Playing [d ¡o st¡r€d püpose oth€r r¡n more playi¡g rt k úsuatty not 3erious in
cont€nt or ¡ttitudei wheres güi¡g, which {n átso i¡voly€ playing if ir ú sbordi@ted to
wiming. ir ¡t heür .ompeuri\e.

Experimentation also involves ¡ttehtion to rhe norh¡lly udoticed. I smtch m/ é¡r when
n it hB. I notie üe itch, notice my s@tching, úd norice whm the ¡tching stoF, if it do*. I
att6d to my r¡ised ¿m ed ry tu¡gss pdting at my ed (it¡s dp left o¡e), while dis¡Ning
poüti6. But hosd), I itchd without ¡oticing I t@ed 6 a child not to so¡t ¡ d itch
'ñrch
in pubüc, md ¡ow tlEt I intentionally notice üat I do s e),w¡y, dÉ whote ¡ction loom
ldge. It's a litde sndEe, dd my onv€¡stio¡ about politic los intmt d itching ad
mtch¡¡g shin€ bnghter In other woidr, attenrio¡ alters wlEt t an€nd€d. pláyi¡g with
*ry¿áy l¡fe ofto ú jut paying ¡ftention to wh.r is conventionalty hidden.

For exahple, we ar¡ k¡@ abour those deeps who telephone smeone ud bretle a ]ot but
don t say d),thing Five fténds úd r d€cided to play with hearf breath¡¡g on rlE tetephone.

¡6r
 !
ALLAN K PROW I
l
w€ exchoged núbqs dd w€re free to cal¡ üy ol thñ ¡t d) tihe for üe next th¡€e I
w* to do w6 breaüe heavily for d lo¡g d w€ wished, or útil we wer€ et 1
days. All w€
of. Someting a pho¡e would jut n¡g dd nng ft wd nev€r clea. if the person wa out or
il
wd reñsing to pick up the reeiler Sonetimes we would reach ú a¡sering machine, md :]

we h¡d to deode if w wúted to breathe for th€ ¡eco¡ding It wa tt¡e same uce¡t¡i¡ty
wher we reré at hone: wú üe phone ¡inging beeüe it was ú exPected businss oll, or
w$ ¡t going to be heNf breathi¡g? Would the pho¡e r,ng in tie middle ol üe night? How
long @uld w€ k€ep Íion giggling?
Once, I rrhed üe not}er-inJaw of one of the group. she listened to ne breathing lor
¡ momdt úd s@ed in lt¿lian th¡t I was a Pervst and worsé, beiore slamming dom
the receiver The fmny thlng about tbrs cápe. m that yoú could¡l tell from thc b.€athng

lTo'ch i¿A sóñañ., | 99 l,

Iiüe annldc¡lly i¡clined still wmt to know why to play ¡t €veryday life, d a¡swér might
go liLe üis: E*perinentál dt is the o¡'ly kind of dt rllat Anglo-Am€rie @ call its l)M.
Th¡ Amdi@ d nre h6 loñg rejected the 6n€ dts s irelev¡ht ¿nd dsoid of hónest
Iabor "Idle hods n¡ke d¿¡l's rcrk." Experintental art, d deso¡bed here, ú the one ldnd
ol st th¡t @ afrrm md deny art at the sme time. k is üe ote hnd ol art that {n .laim s
y:lue no v¡luel h is iú ¿greeñebt w¡ü phili$inish úd ¡t¡ throwaway materialism
^hensn
wh¡le it t tsee to emct a sort of "mtive" c€ativity in üe play of ord¡nary life (c t John
Dew€l). The on. c ot ¡s üat n mut not brcll€d dt.

I wole up one day od had m ids. I would d¡g a bucLet ol dlrt frcn t}e garden, ad I'd put
tlE bucket of dirt and a shov€l in ny truck. oD sohe luture day, I'd t'ade my d:rt for
someone elsei dirt. A montlt went by dd I didn't t¡i¡k about it. Usually. every week, I go
on weüesdays to sit at the zen Center ¡n S¡¡ Diego. So. ont wednesday,I remenbeted
the bucket oi d¡rt. I dLed B€n ThoBen, who lived there .t the time, 'Can I have ¿ bucket ot
dirt? Don't wony, I ll give you a bucket oigood grden dút in retun." I told hjh ¡bout the l
1,
rich omp6t in t}te grden. He l@ked ¡t ne md stá.ted to laugh. 'Sure, there's Plenty ot
-¡
dirt." He pointed in ¡11 dir€dioa.
I
I sent to get tlle bucket of dirt dd shov€I. when I cme bal Ben said, "I've got a better j
idq. tat's aMI úder tle Zen Center dd get tlle dirt tsoh jút beld the seat of oü
tecls lchrlott€ loko Beckl. Tbafll be hanT-duty Buddhist dirtl" I agreed it wa a very
good ida. we got a ffa+light dd squeezed oü w¡y udd ü€ n@r ol the boule, dngglng
tlre bu&et and shovel behind u. It wa camped, wiü m¡yb€ ls i¡ches of clearú@,
ñlt}y drq, obÍebs eerywhere. But we couldn\ detern¡ne tle exact spot we were
Ioolong for. So Ben said he would go back out and would tap on the Soor ¡bovej t could
mov€ der to phere ltrs taps were .oming frcm, and tap b¡ck to him. Thafs what we did.
At dE right pl&e úder the floor t scoop€d out a hole in the dreadl¡l d¡rt tl¡¡t was only ¡
conrrudion remDúi¡. R€pla.ing it with my garden dlrt eould be e imProvement, I
162

tI
 JUST DOING

I üorglt unchúitábly. In any cúe, üe heávl-dui) Buddhist übes we¡e rie h¿in
o¡siddation. So I wiggled out with üe stufl ud b¡ushed off hy dott es.
Bú wx t¡obúgHy @u*d by tle¡ úd sid, "wh¡t re )ou doing this for¡ I si.t, "Oh,
nt what I like to do. No big deal." He said, "Well, I gles it,s no silid tld sjtring o¡ a
oshio! for ¡ous doing nothing" (as rc seeh to do ¡t üe centet. we taked for $m; time
about üe heuing of üfe.
Some wéeks p4sed, dd I stoppéd at rlle loc¡l fa¡n stdd wh€re r bought my f¡uit ¡nd
vegetabl.s. I sked ilte rct)Ú t}ft, "cú r have a bucket of yoú dj.t? r'ltgire ),o¡ one in
ret!rn.'She stared ¡t ne. "Yoü rut a buckd ofdirt? Fron here? Why?" Sh; poi¡ted ro tl,e
dal ol the rcadslde. she rJ¡ought she hadnl heüd me right. r sid "rcs h€ary-duty
!¿T::,
Buddhist drt." od I told her rhé sror).
She w6 dedly ihpr6*d wjü tle Budü¡r püt. "r üought you wse u dtist." I sid ro
ller yés úd tlat th¡ ws whár I d¡d. "I tlDught you were a elege professr" "Sur€. I teach
this $rt of tning, Fad¡ng dirt." "They pay you for it?" sbe 6ked ne. The. stre thought a
qBut
momot. ¡t¡s not 3erious; iit what ny grúdson doe!." Shé gshncd tow¿¡d the ¿hild
playing on the fl@r wftn @rnbu*r. "whaCs ssio$f I sajd to héL
So we hád a long t¡ll ibout üe mdjng of ljfe whjte r dug . hole at t}e side of üe ¡oad.
As I ws ¿bout to pou rle Auddhist dnt ¡nto it, she to$ed some d¡] *eds i¡to t]¡€ b!&d.
I s¡id "Wh¿t did yo! do d8t for?" "Why not? It {n,r hut," she said.
(The dirt F¡ding dd rJle rtories wsr oD fo' dree yws. tt ]Éd no .eat begi4iDg or dd.
Tht stori€s bege to ¡dd up to a vsy lo¡g story, ud wjü Éc¡ retelling tley chdged.
wlte¡ I stopped betng intsesled ¡¡ th€ proe$ In oincided with m) wife and I having to
Dove afts ou ¡ental pbpe¡t w6 soldl, I put tle lst buckér of di,t back iñto üe ged;¡.)
(Tro¿in| Dit., 1982-s)

REFEREN CE

K¡prw, All ( 1991) 'Th€ cduqtjo¡ ol th¿ u..rür," p¡¡l 2, jn Esdls oj th. Nunñ| nl A rhdbf.,
Berle¡g¡: Univ€rlity ol CnljtorDi¿ Pr€s.