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.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Marilyn Minter: Green Pink Caviar (Extra)




“In Green Pink Caviar Marilyn Minter continues her interest in blurring the boundaries between fine and commercial art. Minter directed her models to lick brightly colored candies while she shot photos from underneath a glass plate. The model’s tongues mixed the colorful sugar with saliva, slurping and pushing color across the glass surface to simulate painting. Driven by her fascination with the body, Green Pink Canvas sets the stage for chance to happen (www.greenpinkcaviar.com).”

In this video by Minter she directs other people who happen to be model’s to eat candy. Minter is using the model’s bodies as the art object instead of her own.

This video performance differs with the rest of the video-based performances in this exhibition because Minter is not using her own body, but rather the bodies of model’s who are under her direction. When an artist uses another person’s body instead of their own, they are opening up a whole new element, this being chance, unexpected things can happen when relying on other peoples bodies, but based upon the quote by Minter above, that element of chance is exactly what she wants.
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