NEOISTS
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   Neoism was a cultural movement influenced by Futurism, Dada, Fluxus and
    Punk, which emerged from the Mail Art Network in the late seventies.
      The initial idea came from the US Mail Artists David Zack and Al
      Ackerman, but the fledgling movement found its focus in Montreal
   (Spring 1979). The Montreal group wanted to escape from the 'the prison
    of art' and 'change the world'. With this end in mind, they presented
                society with an angst-ridden image of itself.
       The Neoists tended to use the mediums of video, audio and live
   performance. They developed the concept of Apartment Festivals as a way
    of showing such work. These were week long events based in the living
    spaces of individual Neoists. The first of these was held in Montreal
       in September 1980. Subsequent Apartment Festivals took place in
      Baltimore (twice), Toronto, New York (twice), London, Ponte Nossa
                 (Italy), Berlin and Montreal (twice more).
     By the summer of 1981, the centre of Neoist activity had shifted to
   Baltimore (Maryland, USA) and was focused on Michael Tolson (who worked
      under the names Tim Ore and tENTATIVELY a cONVENIENCE). Tolson is
    self-described as a 'mad scientist/d composer/sound thinker/ t hought
      collector/as been & not an artist'. He is best known for his Pee
    Dog/Poop Dog Copyright Violation, which he performed on behalf of the
   Church of the SubGenius in September 1983. The event made national news
   when Baltimore police discovered himstark naked beating a dead dog in a
           railway tunnel, with an audience of 35 people watching.
    The Neoist Network held its first European Training Camp in Wurzburg,
     Germany, in june 1982. This led to the involvement of the Scottish
    artist Pete Horobin, who went on to organise the 8th Neoist Apartment
    Festival in London (1984) and the 9th Neoist Festival in Ponte Nossa,
                                Italy (1985).
   However, after a few years of frantic activity, all the members of the
   small British group renounced Neoism. The last big Neoist event was the
   64th (sic) Apartment Festival organised by Graf Haufen and Stiletto in
      Berlin, decmber 1986. However, with the withdrawal of the British
   section and apathy on the part of most North Americans, Neoism appears
                            to be a spent force.
        (from: Stewart Home, 'Neoism, Plagiarism & Praxis', AK Press,
                            Edinburgh, UK 1995).
   The NEOIST ALLIANCE, launched by Stewart Home in 1992, is a typical use
    of the same name for different things, and has nothing to do with the
                           1980's Neoist Network.
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