Thursday, February 22, 2007
Body art
Over the course of the last 50 years, artists have investigated the aesthetic frontiers of the body. A central notion of human identity, the idea of the physical body and the human self -as stable - has eroded (think of two world wars, the Holocaust, Viet-Nam, AIDS, plus the redefinition of the body in light of the developments in psychoanalysis, philosophy, anthropology, medicine, etc). Artists have investigated the temporality, contingency and instability of the body within and beyond cultural boundaries. One can generally define several areas of investigation: 1- The gesturing body, or the performing body: A dual role of object and subject that becomes public and gets transformed by activism (here we have the FLUXUS performances of Ono, Klein, Beuys, Nauman, etc). 2- The ritualistic body, as one finds in the Viennese Actionists' use of the symbolic language of torture, slaughter and sacrifice (among them Günter Brus, Hermann Nitsch and Otto Mühl, as a way to deal with the horrors of post-War Nazi Austria). Or the self-mutilated body of Gina Pane and Mike Parr and the dying body -as bravely documented by Hannah Wilke. Also the desecrating body (as in Serrano’s Piss Christ). 3- The body as "participatory," as in Chris Burden's symbolic antics, Carolee Schneemann performances and Yayoi Kusama's staged "orgies." 4- The body as identity; whether expanding the idea of gender (the transgender phenomenon), sexuality or race, identity is characterized as a cipher in constant evolution (through the use of props, masks, costumes or any other disguises). In this category, we have the works of Pierre Moliniere, Lynda Benglis, Laura Aguilar, Paul McCarthy and others. 5- The idea of body as boundary: The artist's body is the limit between the private and the public realms and what is inflicted upon that body is inflicted somehow in the social or collective body. These artists examine issues of power, control and intimacy regarding liberties we can and cannot take within our own bodies. In this category we have the works of Dennis Oppenheim, Vito Acconci, Gina Pane, William Wegmann and Marina Abramovic -among others. To better understand the context of body art, take a look at these interesting topics: tatooing, body piercing, corseting, scarification, infibulation, self-flagellation.
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11 comments:
The body is an extremly important art figure mainly because it is something we can all relate to. Everyone has a body and therfore they can picture their own body in the position of the arrt form. Peices that depict gore and torture are very interesting to us wether we are disgusted or enthralled. A beautiful or ugly naked form stirrs feelings that are the products of millions of years of evolutionairy sexual selection. An extremly old frail form can bring about fear of ones own mortal fate. The body is so interesting because we all have one and when we are looking at an art peice we become part of the piece in our minds. Gore, sex and the old frail figure remind us of our bodily urges and fears. Fear and lust are very strong emotions perhaps our most primal urges, the urge to survive and engage in sex, make the body extremly interesting to the artist.
On the topic of the performing body or the gesturing body, I saw a modern dance show at the carnaval center last night. At first I found it quite humorous because I dont have a dance background and their movements were quite comical. Not on purpose...but because that was the style, and these dancers probably had no idea that they appeared this way. The music was probably the best part of the show and I found that I got bored right away. I can say that they were in amazing shape and were very agile. I didnt care to much for their costumes either, think of like cirque du solei but not as cool. I think that I would of enjoyed this modern dance performance alot more if all the dancers were naked or appeared to be naked. Not because I am a pervert but because I feel that these costumes did nothing for the performance. Yeah...so if anybody knows what "modern dance" is I would love to know. Maybe that way if I ever found myself at another modern dance performance I will know what is going on.
There was this girl that I used to go to school with back in California that was a New Genres major. This girl did a performance where she had twenty one empty alcohol bottles lines up against the wall of one of the classrooms. She then removed her shoes and her socks, walked up the the lined up bottles and would pick one up at a time. She would then walk to the other side of the room with the bottle in her hand and then throw it across the room where it would either shatter on the floor or the wall. She continued to do this with all the bottles one by one but she would be walking across the broken glass. She was on like the eighth bottle and was bleeding all over the floor when the professor made her stop. She said the piece was about her alcoholic abusive father...and the twenty one bottles represented her age...her walking across this broken glass was the suffering her dad had put through. the end.
When i think of Body Art the first thing that appears in my mind are tattoos. I believe that tattoos have become a modern form of body art because, when you think in the past decades tattoos weren't seen on the everyday person but, only in freak shows and circus. Tattoos in the past for instance in the time that my parents were growing up was seen as for the criminals and poor people. Now, a days tattoos are seen as art and on all different types of people in all age groups. Also, i think that tattoos are art because, of the creative minds that either come up with the design and because, of the talented skillful artist that tattoos it on a persons body. In addition, I believe that tattoos now a days are becoming over done and unoriginal for instance, all the girls that get hearts, starts, fairy tattoos or guys that get tribal bands tattoos.
Piercing and tattooing are thought of as art these days but both have more ancient roots. In 1992 the "ice man" was found in the Alps, the 5000 year old body was covered in tattoos. As for piercing, its practice is known to have been carried out for many centuries in the hindu religion where Murugan devotees pierce their tongues, cheeks and other body parts while claiming to feel no pain.
Tattooing gained popularity via sailors who would collect them on trips and now that theyve gained popularity i think theyve lost some of that meaning. Piercing andd tattooing in the west is merely ornamentation and nothing profound, though i should also say nothing is wrong with a little ornamentation.
When I make art I always found the human figure a main component. I was always drawn to this subject matter of the human figure when I paint or photograph. I love when I took a figure drawing class. By far it has favorite technique I have learned. I find there is such a connection between the viewer and body in any artwork. People can identify with the subject matter. By using the human figure as a subject matter it can move a person emotionally or even challenge them. However, not only using the body just as subject matter when creating art. How about instead of using painting people, we can use the body as the canvas. I love using the body as a canvas. Personally, I found it more inspiring as an artist when I paint on the body versus on a canvas. I find it interesting how it has that affect on me. Basically, I could say that the body is very important part in my art making. I could also it is a very important influence in the arts in general.
The body as art has been explored since the beginning of time. It is no shock that even today we are still equally intrigued by it. From the bones to the muscle to the form each part makes to complete a unique and intricate person.
I think its interesting that art has transformed from trying to capture it through paint and sculpting to using the skin as canvas in tatoos to even taking it to a step further and altering the body. With that being said I'm not sure how far art can be taken before it could be considered ridiculous when such extremes have already been done. I guess it depends on the viewer or the person witnessing the art to determine how they feel.
But even more than tattooing (as some of you have mentioned), body art is an art manifestation, it brings forth social issues, how we perceive our bodies, how much we see the body as a manifestation of our identities, the way we exploit it or reify it. It’s also a form of art activism and a manner of making art with you own body. Have you ever thought of doing that?
There was an idea you shared with us in class. You said that the gallery now is like a laboratory to do and try anything. That idea stuck out the most in your lecture that evening and left me feeling as if i had just opened a book in my brain with never-ending pages that were blank and waiting for me to draw out ideas. Thank you for helping me realize the actual potential to (a) space.
Body art is the most effective way to put across socially controversial themes. At first body art performances can seem a bit egocentric, and the more and more images are presented the more familiar you become with the subject’s most characteristic features. However, this familiarity with the artist really helps put them into your comfort zone. This causes their images, sometimes very disturbing yet powerful, to pierce you easily.
As to the question posted earlier, referring to if we ever thought of creating our own body art to make a statement on our theology. Personally, I always see myself adding certain things to my own drawings that I see on my own body very often. It gives those images, I feel, more life to them.
That is why body art is so powerful. It is difficult to ignore something, even when it makes you uncomfortable, when there is a real person staring back at you. Everyone’s eyes are always drawn to other people. Almost how everyone seems to enjoy people watching, hardly anyone can ignore a piece of body art.
The body… The one thing we all have in common, albeit different shapes and sizes, is our bodies. So, it should be no surprise that the body is central to our mimicking, ie translating it visually. It has also served as our canvas throughout time. Tattoos are not a recent phenomenon. Ancient aborigines and the Japanese tattooed their bodies long before it was unacceptable to our parents’ generations. Along with other artistic use of the body, tattooing has become amazingly popular and acceptable. Dance is yet another artistic use of the body which has existed in Eastern cultures for centuries as well. Why we’ve come to mutilate our bodies is a mystery to me. But, with the harsh realities that abound around us, I suppose, a reaction would involve one’s own body either displayed or private.
I've always been interested and facinated by all type of body art and body modifications. One of my favorite website is www.bmezine.com which is an online zine for all type of body mods. I enjoy experiencing different things with my body like a couple of artists we talked about, but maybe not as extreme as they've done. I find manipulating a body and pushing the threshold of pain beautiful. Even when I draw, I'm uncontrollably drawn to the body and its inperfections. I always take pictures of my sessions because I enjoy what I do. I would have covered myself in piercings and scarification/tattoos if it was more socially acceptable. Until then I can only look at others that are braver than I am and make illusions of these imperfections.
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