3.1 Defining performance art and its characteristics

Performance art shakes up the art world by blending live action, social commentary, and audience interaction. It's a rebellious form that emerged in the 60s and 70s, challenging traditional ideas about what art should be and how it's experienced.

Artists use their bodies as the main tool, exploring identity and pushing boundaries in unconventional spaces. This ephemeral art form emphasizes the present moment, creating a unique, fleeting experience that can't be fully captured or reproduced.

Performance Art: Definition and Qualities

Defining Performance Art

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• Performance art is a genre of contemporary art involving an artist or group of artists presenting live actions (theater, music, dance, visual arts)
• Emerged in the 1960s and 1970s as a reaction against the commodification of art objects and the traditional art market
• Challenges conventional boundaries between art and life, blurring the lines between performer and audience, and between art and reality

Interdisciplinary Nature and Social Commentary

• Characterized by its interdisciplinary nature, combining elements from various artistic disciplines to create a unique, hybrid form of expression
• Addresses social, political, and cultural issues, using the artist's body and actions as a means of critique, provocation, or subversion (feminism, civil rights, environmentalism)

Performance Art: Key Distinguishing Elements

Live Action and Audience Interaction

• Emphasis on live action, with the artist's body and presence serving as the primary medium of expression
• Unlike traditional theater or dance, often lacks a clear narrative structure or predetermined choreography, allowing for improvisation and spontaneity
• Frequently incorporates audience participation or interaction, breaking down the traditional barrier between performer and spectator (Marina Abramović's "The Artist is Present")

Unconventional Spaces and Documentation

• Often takes place in non-traditional or unconventional spaces (public places, galleries, site-specific locations) rather than on a traditional stage or in a theater
• Typically documented through photographs, videos, or written accounts, but the live experience is considered the essence of the work
• Documentation serves as a record of the event but is not considered the artwork itself, as it cannot fully capture the live experience

The Artist's Body as Medium

Body as Primary Tool for Expression

• The artist's body serves as the primary tool for artistic expression, replacing traditional materials (paint, clay, marble)
• Physical presence, gestures, and actions become the artwork itself, challenging traditional notions of art as a static, material object
• Creates a sense of immediacy, intimacy, and authenticity, as the artist directly engages with the audience in real-time

Exploring Identity, Norms, and Boundaries

• Artists use their bodies to explore themes of identity, gender, sexuality, power, and vulnerability, confronting societal norms and expectations (Carolee Schneemann's "Interior Scroll")
• The artist's body may be subjected to physical or psychological challenges (endurance, pain, transformation) as a means of pushing the boundaries of art and human experience (Chris Burden's "Shoot")

Ephemeral and Time-Based Nature of Performance Art

Challenging Traditional Notions of Art

• Performance art is inherently ephemeral, existing only for the duration of the live action and leaving no permanent physical artifact
• Challenges traditional notions of art as a lasting, collectable object, emphasizing the importance of the present moment and lived experience
• The ephemeral quality can create a sense of urgency, as the audience is aware that the experience is fleeting and cannot be fully captured or reproduced

Exploring Time and Temporality

• Often explores the concept of time, using duration, repetition, or real-time actions to create a sense of temporality and change (Tehching Hsieh's "One Year Performances")
• The transient nature of performance art highlights the significance of the audience's presence and their role in co-creating the artwork through their engagement and interpretation