🎭Performance Art Unit 1 – Performance Art: Origins and Development

What Even Is Performance Art?

• Performance art is a form of art that involves an artist or group of artists performing live actions or gestures, often in front of an audience
• Combines elements of theater, dance, music, and visual art to create a unique, often provocative experience
• Emphasizes the artist's body as the primary medium, using physical actions, movements, and gestures to convey meaning
• Challenges traditional notions of art by blurring the boundaries between artist and audience, art and life, and performance and reality
• Often involves audience participation or interaction, breaking down the barrier between performer and spectator
• Can be staged in various settings, including galleries, museums, public spaces, or site-specific locations
• Explores a wide range of themes, such as identity, politics, social issues, and personal experiences
• Encourages experimentation and pushes the boundaries of what is considered art

Historical Roots and Early Pioneers

• Performance art has its roots in the early 20th-century avant-garde movements, such as Futurism, Dada, and Surrealism
  • These movements challenged traditional art forms and embraced unconventional methods of expression
• The Futurist movement, founded by Filippo Tommaso Marinetti in 1909, celebrated technology, speed, and the modern world
  • Futurist performances often involved noise music, poetry recitations, and provocative gestures
• Dada, which emerged in 1916 as a reaction to the horrors of World War I, rejected traditional art and embraced absurdity and irrationality
  • Dada performances, such as Hugo Ball's sound poetry recitations at the Cabaret Voltaire in Zurich, challenged artistic conventions
• Surrealism, founded by André Breton in 1924, explored the unconscious mind and the realm of dreams
  • Surrealist performances, such as the "Surrealist Phantom" event in Paris, blurred the lines between reality and imagination
• Early pioneers of performance art include:
  • Yves Klein, known for his "Anthropometries" series, in which he used naked female models as "living brushes"
  • Piero Manzoni, who challenged the concept of the artist's role with works like "Artist's Shit" and "Living Sculpture"
  • Carolee Schneemann, whose "Meat Joy" performance celebrated the sensual and primal aspects of the human body
  • Yoko Ono, whose "Cut Piece" invited audience members to cut away pieces of her clothing, exploring themes of vulnerability and trust

Key Movements and Influences

• Performance art gained prominence in the 1960s and 1970s, influenced by various artistic and cultural movements
• The Fluxus movement, founded by George Maciunas in the early 1960s, emphasized interdisciplinary collaboration and the fusion of art and life
  • Fluxus performances often involved simple, everyday actions and objects, challenging the boundaries between art and non-art
• Happenings, a term coined by Allan Kaprow in the late 1950s, were loosely structured, improvisational performances that blurred the line between art and life
  • Kaprow's "18 Happenings in 6 Parts" (1959) is considered one of the first Happenings and a seminal work in the development of performance art
• Body art, which emerged in the 1960s and 1970s, focused on the artist's body as the primary medium and subject of the work
  • Artists like Marina Abramović, Chris Burden, and Vito Acconci pushed the limits of physical and psychological endurance in their performances
• Feminist art of the 1970s had a significant impact on performance art, with artists like Judy Chicago, Suzanne Lacy, and Adrian Piper exploring issues of gender, identity, and power
  • Chicago's "The Dinner Party" (1974-1979) celebrated the achievements of women throughout history, while also challenging traditional gender roles and expectations
• Conceptual art, which prioritized ideas over the final product, influenced performance art by emphasizing the importance of the artistic process and the viewer's experience
  • Artists like John Baldessari and Bruce Nauman incorporated elements of performance into their conceptual works, blurring the lines between different artistic disciplines

Techniques and Mediums

• Performance art encompasses a wide range of techniques and mediums, often combining elements from various artistic disciplines
• Artists use their bodies as the primary medium, employing physical actions, gestures, and movements to convey meaning and engage the audience
  • These actions can range from simple, everyday tasks to complex, choreographed sequences
• Spoken word, poetry, and storytelling are often incorporated into performances, allowing artists to explore personal experiences, social issues, and political themes
  • Laurie Anderson's "United States" (1983) combined music, video, and spoken word to create a multi-media commentary on American culture
• Music and sound play a significant role in many performance art pieces, creating atmosphere, evoking emotions, and enhancing the overall experience
  • John Cage's "4'33"" (1952), a composition consisting of four minutes and thirty-three seconds of silence, challenged the definition of music and the role of the performer
• Video and multimedia elements are frequently integrated into performances, allowing artists to create immersive, multi-sensory experiences
  • Nam June Paik, considered the father of video art, incorporated televisions, video cameras, and other electronic devices into his performances, exploring the relationship between technology and the human body
• Site-specific performances take advantage of the unique characteristics of a particular location, engaging with the space and its history, architecture, or social context
  • Mierle Laderman Ukeles' "Touch Sanitation" (1979-1980) involved the artist shaking hands with every sanitation worker in New York City, highlighting the often-overlooked labor of maintenance and cleaning
• Audience participation and interaction are key elements in many performance art pieces, breaking down the barrier between artist and viewer
  • Marina Abramović's "The Artist is Present" (2010) involved the artist sitting silently across from individual audience members, creating intimate, one-on-one encounters

Famous Works and Artists

• Marina Abramović's "Rhythm 0" (1974) involved the artist placing 72 objects on a table and allowing the audience to use them on her body as they desired, exploring themes of vulnerability, trust, and the limits of the artist-audience relationship
• Chris Burden's "Shoot" (1971) featured the artist being shot in the arm by a friend, challenging the boundaries between art and life and questioning the role of the artist as both creator and subject
• Yoko Ono's "Cut Piece" (1964) invited audience members to cut away pieces of the artist's clothing, addressing issues of gender, vulnerability, and the objectification of the female body
• Joseph Beuys' "I Like America and America Likes Me" (1974) involved the artist spending three days in a room with a live coyote, exploring themes of nature, culture, and the relationship between humans and animals
• Carolee Schneemann's "Interior Scroll" (1975) featured the artist reading from a scroll she extracted from her vagina, challenging traditional gender roles and celebrating female sexuality
• Guillermo Gómez-Peña's "The Couple in the Cage" (1992) involved the artist and his partner displaying themselves as "undiscovered Amerindians" in a museum setting, critiquing the objectification and exoticization of indigenous peoples
• Tania Bruguera's "Tatlin's Whisper #5" (2008) featured mounted police officers controlling the movement of the audience within a museum space, commenting on issues of power, authority, and institutional control
• Pussy Riot's "Punk Prayer" (2012) was a guerrilla performance in Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Savior, protesting the close ties between the Russian Orthodox Church and the government, which led to the arrest and imprisonment of several members of the group

Themes and Concepts

• Identity and the self are central themes in performance art, with artists exploring personal experiences, cultural backgrounds, and the construction of individual and collective identities
  • Adrian Piper's "Mythic Being" series (1973-1975) involved the artist adopting a male persona and walking the streets of New York City, challenging notions of race, gender, and identity
• Gender and sexuality are frequently addressed in performance art, with artists questioning traditional gender roles, exploring female empowerment, and celebrating diverse sexual identities
  • Annie Sprinkle's "Post Porn Modernist" (1989-1996) was a series of performances that celebrated sex-positive feminism and challenged societal taboos surrounding sexuality
• Politics and social issues are common subjects in performance art, with artists using their work to critique power structures, advocate for marginalized communities, and raise awareness about pressing social concerns
  • Guillermo Gómez-Peña's "Border Brujo" (1988) addressed issues of cultural identity, immigration, and the U.S.-Mexico border, while challenging stereotypes and misconceptions about Latinx communities
• The relationship between art and life is a fundamental concept in performance art, with artists blurring the boundaries between the two and questioning the role of art in everyday experience
  • Allan Kaprow's Happenings, such as "Fluids" (1967), which involved constructing and melting large-scale ice structures, emphasized the ephemeral nature of art and the importance of the artistic process over the final product
• The body as a medium and subject is a central theme in performance art, with artists using their physical presence to explore ideas of vulnerability, endurance, and transformation
  • Stelarc's "Suspension" series (1976-1988) involved the artist hanging his body from hooks pierced through his skin, pushing the limits of physical endurance and questioning the relationship between the body and technology
• Audience engagement and participation are key elements in performance art, with artists seeking to create active, immersive experiences that challenge traditional notions of spectatorship
  • Yoko Ono's "Wish Tree" (1996-ongoing) invites audience members to write their wishes on pieces of paper and tie them to a tree, creating a collaborative, ever-evolving work of art

Impact on Contemporary Art

• Performance art has had a significant impact on contemporary art, influencing a wide range of artistic practices and challenging traditional notions of what constitutes art
• The emphasis on the artistic process and the ephemeral nature of performance has influenced the development of time-based media, such as video art and installation art
  • Artists like Bill Viola and Shirin Neshat have created immersive video installations that explore themes of spirituality, identity, and human experience, drawing on the legacy of performance art
• The use of the body as a medium and subject has continued to be a central concern in contemporary art, with artists exploring issues of identity, gender, and the human condition through physical presence and action
  • Janine Antoni's "Loving Care" (1993) involved the artist mopping the floor of a gallery with her hair dipped in dye, commenting on the gendered nature of domestic labor and the role of the female body in art
• The participatory and interactive aspects of performance art have influenced the development of relational aesthetics, which emphasizes the creation of social experiences and the fostering of human interaction through art
  • Rirkrit Tiravanija's "Untitled (Free)" (1992) transformed a gallery space into a kitchen where the artist served rice and curry to visitors, creating a communal, participatory experience that challenged traditional notions of art and spectatorship
• The political and social engagement of performance art has continued to be a driving force in contemporary art, with artists using their work to address pressing issues and advocate for change
  • Ai Weiwei's "Sunflower Seeds" (2010) involved the creation of 100 million hand-painted porcelain sunflower seeds, commenting on issues of mass production, cultural identity, and the relationship between the individual and the collective
• Performance art has also influenced the development of interdisciplinary and hybrid art forms, with artists combining elements of performance, installation, video, and other media to create complex, multi-layered works
  • Ragnar Kjartansson's "The Visitors" (2012) is a nine-channel video installation that features a group of musicians performing a 64-minute piece in a historic mansion, creating an immersive, emotionally resonant experience that blurs the lines between performance, music, and video art

Controversies and Criticisms

• Performance art has often been the subject of controversy and criticism, with some questioning its artistic merit, relevance, and impact on society
• The use of the body in extreme or provocative ways has led to accusations of sensationalism and shock value, with critics arguing that some performance artists prioritize spectacle over substance
  • Chris Burden's "Shoot" (1971), in which the artist was shot in the arm by a friend, was criticized by some as an irresponsible and reckless act that glorified violence
• The often challenging and unconventional nature of performance art has led to accusations of elitism and inaccessibility, with some arguing that the work is too esoteric or difficult for general audiences to understand or appreciate
  • The Viennese Actionism movement of the 1960s, which included artists like Günter Brus and Otto Muehl, was known for its shocking and often sexually explicit performances, which were criticized by some as being gratuitously provocative and alienating to audiences
• The ephemeral and transient nature of performance art has also been a point of contention, with some arguing that the lack of a tangible, lasting product undermines the work's artistic value and cultural significance
  • The documentation of performance art through photographs, videos, and written accounts has been seen by some as a necessary compromise, while others argue that it fails to capture the true essence and impact of the live experience
• The political and social commentary often present in performance art has led to accusations of propaganda and ideological bias, with some critics arguing that artists use their work to push specific agendas or ideologies
  • The Russian performance art collective Pussy Riot has been criticized by some as prioritizing political activism over artistic merit, with their provocative performances and confrontational stance toward the government overshadowing the artistic value of their work
• The use of public spaces and the involvement of unsuspecting audiences in performance art have raised ethical concerns, with some arguing that artists violate the rights and consent of participants and bystanders
  • Santiago Sierra's "160 cm Line Tattooed on 4 People" (2000), in which the artist paid four heroin-addicted sex workers to have a line tattooed across their backs, was criticized by some as exploitative and unethical, raising questions about the power dynamics between artist and subject
• Despite these controversies and criticisms, performance art continues to be a vital and influential force in contemporary art, pushing boundaries, sparking debates, and challenging societal norms and expectations
  • The ongoing relevance and impact of performance art are a testament to its ability to provoke, inspire, and transform, even in the face of opposition and criticism