Curriculum Vitae

Dieter Roth’s Curriculum Vitae: A Fluxus Manifesto in Collage

Few works encapsulate the anarchic spirit of Fluxus as succinctly as Dieter Roth’s Curriculum Vitae (1970). Created at the height of the movement’s influence, this mixed-media collage rejects traditional notions of artistic permanence, instead embracing decay, chance, and the mundane as legitimate creative forces. Roth, a Swiss-Icelandic artist deeply embedded in the Fluxus collective, used the piece to subvert the conventional résumé format, replacing it with a chaotic assemblage of personal ephemera—postcards, photographs, and handwritten notes—that collectively form a fragmented self-portrait.

The work’s title, Curriculum Vitae, is itself a provocation. Rather than a polished narrative of professional achievements, Roth presents a raw, unfiltered archive of his life. The collage’s deliberate disorder mirrors the Fluxus ethos, which sought to dissolve boundaries between art and life. As the Museum of Modern Art notes in its analysis of Roth’s practice, his work often “challenged the viewer’s expectations of what art could be,” and Curriculum Vitae is no exception. Here, the personal becomes political—a rejection of institutional authority in favor of individual experience.

Dieter Roth and the Fluxus Revolution

By 1970, Dieter Roth had already cemented his reputation as one of Fluxus’s most radical practitioners. The movement, founded in the early 1960s by George Maciunas, sought to democratize art by emphasizing process over product, often through performances, mail art, and experimental publications. Roth’s contributions were particularly notable for their material experimentation—his use of perishable substances like chocolate, cheese, and sausage in works such as Literaturwurst (1961–74) challenged the very notion of art’s durability.

Curriculum Vitae emerges from this context but shifts focus inward. Unlike his earlier, more performative pieces, this collage is introspective, almost diaristic. It reflects Roth’s growing interest in autobiography as a medium, a theme he would explore further in later works like Selbstbildnis als Blumentopf (Self-Portrait as a Flower Pot, 1971). The piece also aligns with his collaborations with figures like Richard Hamilton and Joseph Beuys, who similarly blurred the lines between personal history and artistic output. As Tate Modern observes, Roth’s work from this period “often functioned as a kind of visual diary,” a description that applies perfectly to Curriculum Vitae.

Roth’s collage is not merely a résumé but an anti-résumé—a deliberate sabotage of the professional self in favor of the unfiltered, the accidental, and the ephemeral.

The Making of Curriculum Vitae

Composition: Controlled Chaos

The collage’s layout appears haphazard, yet every element is meticulously placed to create a sense of organized disorder. Roth layers postcards, snapshots, and typed text at varying angles, forcing the viewer’s eye to navigate the piece like a map without a legend. The overlapping fragments suggest simultaneity—multiple moments in Roth’s life coexisting on a single plane. This technique echoes the Fluxus interest in “simultaneity” as a compositional principle, where disparate elements are united through their coexistence rather than their harmony.

Materiality: The Ephemeral as Medium

Unlike traditional collages that prioritize archival stability, Roth incorporates materials prone to degradation. The postcards and photographs in Curriculum Vitae bear signs of wear—creased edges, faded ink—which Roth preserves rather than conceals. This embrace of imperfection aligns with his broader practice, where decay becomes a collaborative force in the artwork’s evolution. The piece’s physical fragility mirrors the instability of memory itself, a theme central to Roth’s later works like Staple Cheese (A Race) (1970).

Displaying Curriculum Vitae in Your Space

This print’s dynamic composition and neutral palette make it surprisingly versatile. The 30×40 cm (12×16") size works equally well in a minimalist studio or a maximalist gallery wall. For a cohesive look, pair it with other Fluxus-inspired pieces or monochromatic abstract works. The collage’s textual elements pop against dark walls—try deep grays or navy—but also hold their own in brighter spaces with white or light oak framing. Avoid overly ornate surroundings; Roth’s work thrives in environments that respect its raw, unpolished energy.

Frequently Asked Questions

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