Friday, March 6, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Getty Center, Los Angeles
Join us for an evening to consider the art and legacy of Benjamin Patterson (1934–2016), a postwar experimentalist of sound and performance. A classically trained double bassist, Patterson increasingly developed an antiauthoritarian sensibility in response to his surroundings: his history is regularly framed by a rift with tradition as a co-founder of the Fluxus movement, which enabled a much needed psychic break from professional barriers created by de facto segregation. Yet Patterson maintained a love of classical music alongside that of experimental music, pushing back against the idea of a clean break. This program will consider the depth of Patterson's artistry by enacting and documenting live performances of work created before Fluxus: *String Music* (1960) and *Paper Piece* (1960). Our goal is to center his postwar integrationist sensibility within his art practice. The conversation will be available on the [Getty Research Institute YouTube channel][1] following the event. Visit the Getty Research Institute's [Exhibitions and Events page][2] for more free programs. Learn about [Benjamin Patterson’s *Paper Piece* (1960)][3] in *The Scores Project: Essays on Experimental Notation in Music, Art, Poetry, and Dance, 1950-197*5, available for free online. [1]: https://www.youtube.com/c/gettyresearch [2]: https://www.getty.edu/research/exhibitions_events/ [3]: https://www.getty.edu/publications/scores/04/