The founder of the international art movement known as Fluxus, Maciunas emigrated to New York in 1948. For most of his life, he suffered from chronic illness. One Year is the accumulation of packaging for everything the artist consumed over the course of about a year. Organizing the containers in repetitive columns, as if stacked in a supermarket display, the artist emphasized the volume and variety of consumer goods in the postwar United States. Products like instant milk, egg substitute, and imitation rum suggest the sacrifice of quality and nutrition that accompanied mass production. A column of antacids, skin ointments, and asthma medications hint at the harmful bodily effects of industrialization and the many products marketed to treat them.

Gallery label from

2025

Kids label from 2025

How much trash do you make in a year?

Artist George Maciunas wanted to find out! He saved the packaging from his food, drinks, and household items for about a year. Then, he neatly organized them to create this work of art. Maybe you recognize some products that you use in your home today.

How would you arrange a year’s worth of your trash?

Medium Various empty containers and packaging
Dimensions installation (approx.): 85 13/16 × 275 7/8 × 4 1/4" (218 × 700.7 × 10.8 cm)
Publisher Fluxus
Credit The Gilbert and Lila Silverman Fluxus Collection Gift
Object number 2531.2008.a-t
Department Drawings and Prints

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