Some walking exercises can be very open to interpretation, such as La Monte Young‘s Composition 1960 #10, which simply states, “Draw a straight line and follow it.” Young (1935-) was a well-known member of Fluxus. Check out more history and others’ interpretations of this score here.

Consider how this direction could intersect with your interest in walking as artistic practice. Write down at least 3 different ways you could execute these directions.

Variation

Consider Composition 1960 #10 by La Monte Young, which simply states, “Draw a straight line and follow it.”

1. Take a moment to draw a straight line approximately ½ mile long (.8 km) on a map of your neighborhood.
2. Walk along that line and make note of five everyday things, people, or experiences.
3. Create a portrait of this everyday experience in any media you like. (drawing, audio, video, photo, etc)
4. Post everyone’s portraits as a group and analyze similarities and differences.

Credit: Waxman, Lori. Keep Walking Intently: The Ambulatory Art of the Surrealists, the Situationist International, and Fluxus. Sternberg Press, 2017. Page 206.