Curatorial Statement

The theme of this digital exhibition is The Body: As Object, this particular topic was chosesn because the body or in this case the artist’s body is the most readily available object and tool. It’s always there, no copyright infrigment and generally free to use. This section of video based performance art is interesting because these artists are using their bodies to produce the work in this exhibition. With this particular theme, the artist is not worried about the end result, but rather the process that took place during the performance. This is particularly important in all of the pieces featured in this exhibition, because there isn't necessarily an end product like a traditional painting would have.

The artists featured in this exhibition are Paul McCarthy, Pipilotti Rist, Dennis Oppenheim, Hannah Wilke, Bruce Nauman. What separates these artists from traditional artists is the fact that they use their own bodies as the “canvas” for their work, rather than directing others, or using other materials as the main element in their performance. These artists are creating a performance treating their bodies as an object or tool to complete a task. In each performance, the artist’s seem to be testing the limits of their own bodies, by placing themselves in awkward situations and manipulating their bodies to accentuate the pliability.

Throughout this exhibition, the reoccurring theme is the body and it’s many artistic uses, in this case it’s use as a tool and as and artistic object. These artists are literally taking themselves and making art.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Dennis Oppenheim: Tooth and Nail: Film and Video




"Dennis Oppenheim has received international attention for conceptual performance, video, sculpture, installation, and land art. In the early 1970’s, Dennis Oppenheim was in the vanguard of artists using film and video to investigate themes relating body and performance (www.jazzloft.com)."

“In a sense, I am creating a system that allows the artist to become the material, to consider himself the sole vehicle of the art, the distributor, initially and receiver simultaneously. Understanding the body as both subject and object permits one to think in terms of an entirely different surface (Dennis Oppenheim, www.slought.com).”

This video is part of a much larger selection known as the Aspen Tapes, produced 1970 and 1974l. Oppenheim uses his own body as a site of experimentation. In this select work Oppenheim explores the boundaries of personal risk, bodily transformation, and interpersonal communication.
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