It is a very short work of art, which Alison Knowles typed out in 1962. One line of text spans the entire instruction:
proposition
Make a salad.
1962
The 'art' is therefore not necessarily in the text itself, but in the performance that followed. In this sense, the text is actually a kind of composition and the artist becomes a composer of actions. This is therefore not a salad for one kitchen table, but for all visitors to the work of art. This creates a social event where the focus is on sharing.
Knowles belonged to Fluxus, an art movement that took place during the 1960s and 1970s. The movement placed a strong emphasis on the process, rather than the end product, and more often placed art outside institutions such as museums, galleries and other white cubes.
The work was first performed at the Institute of Contemporary Art. After the execution of the work, it was performed many more times and with different compositions. Whole groups have cut, washed and made thousands of kilos of lettuce into whole salads. Knowles loved it so much that “everyone eats, not just together but… the same. And they usually eat the same amount, the same portions.” Perfect to try if you are soon with family or friends.