Michael Kirby investigates the origins, structural mechanics, and aesthetic intentions behind the performance art movement known as happenings. The author, a scholar and practitioner of experimental theater, synthesizes historical context with primary source documentation to demystify a form often perceived as chaotic or inaccessible. By examining the intersection of visual art and performance, Kirby provides a rigorous framework for understanding how these events function as deliberate artistic expressions rather than random occurrences.

This text serves as a foundational resource for students and historians of 20th-century avant-garde performance. Its combination of theoretical analysis and practical documentation provides a clear, clinical look at the mechanics of a notoriously ephemeral art form.