Body art is arguably the one art form that we all perform naturally. From hand-shadow puppets to tattoos -- all are attempts to manifest our animated spirits in earthly form. Of course, these performances are not always artistically intended, and therefore... [more]

Body art is arguably the one art form that we all perform naturally. From hand-shadow puppets to tattoos -- all are attempts to manifest our animated spirits in earthly form. Of course, these performances are not always artistically intended, and therefore are often not as extreme as professional Body art. However, it is our deep attachment to our own bodies that makes this art form hit such a responsive psychological chord. Body art, as a subset of Conceptual art and a precursor to Performance art, uses the artist's body as the medium rather than paint, stone, or wood. The art often takes the form of public or private performances that are documented in video or photographs. The form and content vary widely, but it often has spiritual, political, or even masochistic intentions. Chris Burden's "Shot" was a small public performance in which he submitted to being shot in the arm. Gina Pane cut herself with razorblades and posed with roses to represent the anguish of love. Lucas Samaras, in a series of "Autopolaroids", photographed himself dressed as famous nudes (like Degas' "Bather") and performing a mock self-castration with kitchen cutlery. The concept of body image is central to Body art, and many female artists have seen the medium as the perfect vehicle for feminism. Female artists such as Carolee Schneemann, Eleanor Antin, and Yoko Ono focused on politics of the gendered body and female self-representation. Schneemann insisted that the impetus of the feminist performances was the act of "giving our bodies back to ourselves". Oddly, these self-affirming performances were often violent and disgusting, not celebratory. Schneemann performed while paint-smeared, snake-covered, and defiantly ugly. Her aggressive "Interior Scroll" piece involved a ranting oratory delivered as she pulled the scrolling text from her vagina. In Yoko Ono's "Cut Piece", she sat still while members of her audience cut away pieces of her clothing. The performance questioned the distinctions between subject and object, victim and aggressor. Precedents for Body art include Marcel Duchamp's star-shaped haircut, and Joseph Beuys' Actions. In "Coyote: I Like America and America Likes Me", Beuys videotaped a week-long performance in which he shacked up with a coyote. Unfortunately, many performances reduce themselves to violence, as artists equate the tolerance of pain with artistic integrity. Sometimes, these performances are the artists' final acts. Rudolph Schwarzkogler, a member of the gore-obsessed Viennese Actionists, died after a series of "artistic" shock therapy treatments. [show less]