Page 58 - Studio International - September 1966

Washes by Claes Oldenburg
Dreams by Jim Dine
The audience enters a blackened auditorium. With
the aid of a few ushers with flashlights people are
helped to their seats.
Five tungsten lamps go on, each illuminating a
self-contained scene, to the sound of Jim Dine's
(taped) voice free-associating.
From left to right (below and opposite) in an oval
stretching the width of the auditorium.
1 Three girls sit exchanging items from their handbags. 4 Two young men in tennis clothes make themselves
2 A man and woman in underwear together pound
Location: A. C. Roon's Health Club swimming pool.
The audience is asked (advised) to wear old clothes or
bathing suits— locker accomodation available.
The piece consists of 10 untitled events of different
time duration, running from two to six minutes. The
last four parts together last 10 minutes.
The cast of volunteers (from Oldenburg's circle of
friends, and their friends) is numerous, easily more
numerous than the audience. It is impossible in the
end to tell them apart.
The cast is asked to choose their own costumes
which range from a faded life-guard's uniform to
huge garish dresses held together by safety pins,
extravagant hats, bikinis, tuxedos and indescribable
assorted combinations—obtained from cupboards,
thrift and junk shops, sporting goods shops, Saks
Fifth Avenue, etc.
Events themselves are detailed as to action props,
lighting and time. The pool fills up with balloons,
barrels, furniture, bits of clothing, pipes, life belts,
plastic sheets, parachutes, pillows, people and all
the other odd assorted objects involved in the
Happening.
huge wads of torn newspaper, flour and water over
a gynaecologist's examination table.
3 Jim Dine slumps in his leather chair in Gestapo-
like boots and with a doctor's scale, seeming to
concentrate, holding his head, getting up and pacing
around, smoking a cigarette; to his left a man in
chef's uniform saws a steel pipe.
snacks, drink Coca-Cola and watch T.V.
Events happen simultaneously and last 45 minutes.