12.2 Performance Art

Performance art emerged in the 1960s, challenging traditional art forms by prioritizing ephemeral, time-based experiences. It blurred the lines between art and life, with artists using their bodies as both subject and object to explore identity, sexuality, and social constructs.

Influenced by feminist movements and gaining institutional recognition, performance art pushed boundaries through endurance-based works, body modification, and audience participation. It incorporated elements from various disciplines, influencing contemporary theater, dance, and new media art.

Origins and Development of Performance Art

Emergence and Early Influences

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• Performance art emerged as a distinct art form in the 1960s and 1970s
  • Evolved from earlier avant-garde movements (Futurism, Dada, Happenings)
• Fluxus movement founded by George Maciunas in early 1960s played crucial role
  • Emphasized interdisciplinary artistic practices
• Challenged traditional notions of art by prioritizing ephemeral, time-based experiences
  • Blurred boundaries between art and life
• Key figures in early performance art explored various themes
  • Yoko Ono examined conceptual art and audience participation
  • Joseph Beuys focused on social sculpture and shamanic practices
  • Marina Abramović pushed limits of physical and mental endurance

Feminist Influence and Institutional Recognition

• Feminist art movement of 1970s significantly influenced performance art
  • Artists used their bodies to critique societal norms and gender roles
  • Carolee Schneemann explored female sexuality and body politics
  • Valie Export challenged male gaze and media representations of women
• Performance art gained institutional recognition in 1980s and 1990s
  • Included in major museums and galleries (Museum of Modern Art, Tate Modern)
  • Establishment of dedicated performance art spaces (The Kitchen in New York)
  • Creation of performance art festivals (Performa Biennial)

The Body as Medium in Performance Art

Physical Exploration and Endurance

• Artist's body serves as both subject and object in performance art
  • Explores themes of identity, sexuality, and social constructs
• Endurance-based performances push physical and mental limits
  • Marina Abramović's "The Artist is Present" (2010) involved sitting motionless for 736 hours
  • Tehching Hsieh's "One Year Performance" series tested extreme durational concepts
• Body modification and manipulation employed to challenge societal norms
  • Stelarc's suspensions and technological augmentations question bodily limitations
  • Orlan's surgical performances critique beauty standards and identity construction
• Nudity in performance art serves multiple purposes
  • Vulnerability (Yoko Ono's "Cut Piece")
  • Provocation (Carolee Schneemann's "Interior Scroll")
  • Subversion of traditional artistic representations (Spencer Tunick's mass nude installations)

Ritualistic Actions and Technological Integration

• Ritualistic and repetitive actions involving the body create various effects
  • Trance-like states (Ana Mendieta's "Silueta" series)
  • Commentary on social behaviors (Mierle Laderman Ukeles' "Maintenance Art" performances)
• Intersection of technology and human body explored in performance art
  • Stelarc's "Third Hand" project incorporated robotic prosthetics
  • Eduardo Kac's "Time Capsule" implanted a microchip in his ankle
  • Shu Lea Cheang's "3x3x6" installation at Venice Biennale examined surveillance and gender

Performance Art vs Other Art Forms

Interdisciplinary Approaches and Influences

• Performance art incorporates elements from various disciplines
  • Theater (The Wooster Group's experimental productions)
  • Dance (Trisha Brown's site-specific choreographies)
  • Music (Laurie Anderson's multimedia performances)
  • Visual arts (Matthew Barney's "Cremaster Cycle")
• Influence of performance art visible in contemporary theater and dance
  • Increased emphasis on non-linear narratives (Robert Wilson's operas)
  • Audience interaction (Punchdrunk's immersive theater productions)
  • Site-specific works (Anne Imhof's "Faust" at Venice Biennale)
• Symbiotic relationship between video art and performance art
  • Documentation of performances (Chris Burden's "Shoot")
  • Creation of video-based performances (Bill Viola's "The Greeting")

New Forms and Aesthetic Concepts

• Installation art frequently incorporates performative elements
  • Blurs lines between static and time-based art forms
  • Tino Sehgal's "constructed situations" in museum spaces
• Concept of "relational aesthetics" developed by Nicolas Bourriaud
  • Highlights influence of performance art on contemporary practices
  • Prioritizes social interactions and participatory experiences
  • Rirkrit Tiravanija's cooking performances exemplify this approach
• Performance art influences development of new media art
  • Interactive installations (Rafael Lozano-Hemmer's "Pulse Room")
  • Virtual reality experiences (Jordan Wolfson's "Real Violence")
  • Live-streamed digital performances (Cao Fei's "RMB City" in Second Life)

Audience Participation in Performance Art

Forms of Participation and Impact

• Audience participation ranges from passive observation to active involvement
  • Challenges traditional notions of spectatorship
  • Redefines artist-audience relationship
• Interactive performances create sense of shared responsibility
  • Blurs boundaries between creator and viewer
  • Yoko Ono's "Cut Piece" invited audience to cut her clothing
  • Marina Abramović's "Rhythm 0" allowed audience to manipulate her body
• Unpredictability of audience participation introduces elements of chance
  • Aligns with avant-garde emphasis on indeterminacy
  • John Cage's "4'33"" relied on ambient sounds from audience
• Participatory performances aim to create transformative experiences
  • Encourages self-reflection and critical engagement
  • Tania Bruguera's "Tatlin's Whisper #5" used mounted police to control audience

Ethical Considerations and Technological Expansion

• Ethics of audience participation frequently debated
  • Works involving potential physical or emotional risks
  • Chris Burden's "Shoot" raised questions about audience complicity
• Documentation and re-performance of participatory works present challenges
  • Questions nature of authenticity in ephemeral art forms
  • Marina Abramović's "Seven Easy Pieces" re-performed iconic works
• Social media and digital technologies expand possibilities for participation
  • Enables remote interactions and global collaborations
  • Ai Weiwei's use of social media platforms for performative activism
  • Eva and Franco Mattes' online performances challenge notions of virtual presence