Body Art: Early Performance Art
Over the past few decades, the definition of performance art has stood disputed. The name is closely linked to live action, cross-disciplinary artwork originating in the 1970s also used to refer to the 1960s proto-performances (Tannenbaum). Performance art is a broad categorization encompassing interdisciplinary work, multimedia, sound, text, movement or action, in addition to visual elements. It is short-lived mainly highlighting the writer and conceiver of the art as the centerpiece of the performance. This form of display is not periodically showcased like scripted plays and traditional theater pieces. A significant part of this kind of expression is that it contravenes conventional bounds established by artistic traditions. When well-coordinated, the unruly nature of performance art blurs the lines between what is regarded as art and life (Tannenbaum). Artists have, therefore, utilized this platform to challenge social norms and express themselves in equal measure. Like most things, the development of performance art has evolved as a polarized entity. Women arts have developed taking a different course compared to that of men in the same practice. This distinction in developments, however, has not hindered notable works on either side of the aisle. The feminist wave in the 1970s affected not only society but also the development of performance arts. Female artists took early performance art to highlight suppressed issues about gender inequality, while male performers were inspired by the consequences of the rise of feminism.
Women
The earliest women performances can be traced back to 1960. After impressive performances from the likes of Carole Schneemann’s meat joy in 1964, a myriad of women performance artists came up (Tannenbaum). The central theme appeared to be feminism through nudity. Performances featured shows like an artist impassively seated while the audience shears her clothes off and a woman wearing pants with no crotch moving through a porn movie house with a gun. Such scenes were more socially provocative as they would be now. The artists displayed the denunciation of ladylike behavior and dressing to take a public stance. This move in the 50’s, and 60’s was a radical shift from the abstract paintings and sculptures to a more attention-grabbing mode of expression. The attention the provocations generated allowed these women to feature forms and subject matter of the circumstances and substances that affected their lives. Performances took different styles as some women performed live while others opted to utilize video, which was relatively new at the time (Tannenbaum). Videos were popular as they were inexpensive and people could comfortably set up the equipment their studios. The early forms of women performance art set the confrontational precedent on which the following expressions would be advanced.
The rise of feminism in the 1970’s played a significant role in shaping the direction of performance arts for women. Ladies at this time were driven by their pursuit of equal rights both domestically and at the workplace. The movement built their momentum on the civil rights and Vietnam War protests (Tannenbaum). The 70’s were the peak of feminist expression. It was marked by sexual performances to demonstrate equality. At this point, it was no longer about commentary and expression instead women focused on affecting real social and political change from the grassroots through consciousness rising actions (Tannenbaum). The themes diverged to violence and abuse against women, murders, and transgender issues. The development of audiovisual mediums only broadened the platform. For the few years that followed, performance art among women drastically changed evidenced by the dropped in numbers and frequency. The 90’s marked a new dawn for the ladies as most of them chose to focus on other issues other than feminism. Although a few performers still live up to the ideologies of their predecessors, a significant number of them have publically distanced themselves from feminism (Tannenbaum). Therefore, women’s performance art has seen a dramatic shift since the 1970s although.
Men
The concept of masculinity has evolved with time to fit society’s need. Modern masculine traits have developed in the previous century influenced by both technology and ideas of femininity (Cornwell). Traditionally, masculine attributes were conceptualized from a person’s occupation, for instance, a blacksmith and a soldier had different yet male associated characteristics from their work. The 20th century, the 1970s to be exact, was marked with a tremendous push by women to be equal to men. The aftermath was the inclusion of females in several spheres of life traditionally associated with masculinity (Cornwell). As women started taking up economic and social roles such as banking and being the breadwinner, the entire male institution appeared to be threatened. The growth of capitalism and market expansions made males acquire social traits popularly reserved for women such as being a consumer (Cornwell). Corporations targeted men as consumers of various products, which in turn blurred gender lines in society. Therefore, both the rise of feminism and industrialization instituted pressure on the male gender.
Early performance artist recognized what was happening to masculinity and showcased it their art. The said pressures on the gender resulted in a very narrow definition of what it means to be a man (Cornwell). Every man is supposed to conform to these stereotypes. The growth of industries led to polarized gender consumption with men opting to define their gender using fashion. Specific clothing was designated for females and males alike creating the various gender identities. The most typical idealization of masculine expression in style is a suit. The attire signals particular messages about being a man. These include the use of the boxy shape to standardize the natural variations of the male body thus explicitly disguising any individuality of the wearer. In a way, the suit is used to unite the distinct parts of a man into a united front of masculinity. In recognizing this trend both early and contemporary artists have used the male body as an object referring to it as their primary canvas. Thus, the men have confined their identity to their build and used fashion to emphasize it.
In the performance “I Became a Secret Hippy,” Chris Burden articulates male gender identity. The show starts with the artist removing his casual clothes (jeans and a t-shirt). His friend then attaches a bikers stud on Burden’s chest (Cornwell). The performer then shaves his hair and proceeds to put on an FBI uniform which is a black suit and tie. Through the performance, we can see the transition of a man from an individual to an archetype of authority built around the clothing that signifies an authoritative identity. Accurately, the show represents the layering of male personalities to fit societal expectations. Suits communicate manly institutional strength. As seen in the military informs the attire function as corporate uniforms of male authority (Cornwell). Therefore, a manifestation of the male gender into an archetypal dressing has been the subject of performance art parody over these years.
Comparison
Although they took a different route, there are notable similarities between the two forms of performances art. First, they were a reaction to the prevailing social situations. Feminist artists used the platform to address issues facing their gender. On the other hand, the rise of feminism made masculinity feel threated and cornered hence the performances by male arts. Second, the two forms of expression focused on the body as the object of their representation. Both male and female performance artist often place their bodies at the center stage to illuminate their message. Third, the various works sought to highlight the gender identities created by homogeny in society. Women showcased their undervalued and sometimes repressive roles while men tried to highlight forced hypermasculinity (Flisher). Lastly, they both utilized the same medians of expression. Accordingly, separated gender expression through performance art had various convergent points.
Similarly, there are notable differences between the two. The significant distinction is the style and tone of expression. Women performance art was based on gaining attention through nudity or other unladylike behavior. On the centrally male performance art was based on subtly embracing their hypermasculinity. This approach did not strengthen the stereotype but instead challenged homogeny ideals in society. One might argue that the women needed to be more provocative than men to get society’s attention. Thus, the fundamental difference between performance arts between the genders was the mode of commanding attention.
Notable Performance artists:
Carolee Schneemann
Carolee Schneemann is perhaps the most famous female performance artist of all time. Since the 1960s she has explored her own body with the aim to showcase the role sensuality can have on political and personal liberations. She has always tried to fight for an age where women are free from severe social and beauty limitations (The Art Story). Schneemann’s work draws from the rich possibilities of film, performance, photography and a wealth of other mediums. Themes synonymous with her long career include the goddess imagery and generation, everyday erotics, sexuality and her biography of loss (The Art Story). She started her career as a painter and to this day still regards herself as one. Schneemann views the performances as an extension of her visual expressions on another canvas.
Schneemann’s performance in the 1960s paved the way for the generations of performers that followed. Prior her exploration of sensuality and sexuality every other artist bordered on formal experimentation instead of the specific inquiry into the taboo realm of femininity (The Art Story). Among the many projects that she worked on Meat Joy (1964) remains my best piece. The performance took place in Paris and was recorded at the Judson Memorial Church. Here, she showcased naked men and women playing and dancing with several objects including raw chicken, sausages, fish and wet paint. This Dionysian themed performance was supposed to symbolize the celebration of flesh. The artist was aiming to challenge social taboos about the control ladies had over their bodies in society (The Art Story). Women at the time could not openly or overtly be as sexual as men. From the attention, the performance one could argue that she achieves her goal. Cultural barriers soon began crumbling down (The Art Story). Although Schneemann did several other performances, this specific one set the stone rolling for feminism in art. Through Meat Joy she was able to inspire an artist like Peggy Ahwesh and Abigail Child. Thus using her work she was able to influence the entire direction generations that followed.
Sharon Hayes
In present times, Sharon Hayes appears to have picked up Schneemann’s spirit. The activist was born in the 1970s. My favorite work that she has done so far is the piece named Near Future. The performance series began in 2005 and involved Hayes standing in 9 different locations around New York each time holding a sign with a different message (Barliant). The quotes were mostly borrowed from another era but remained relevant. When she stood at Wall Street, for instance, she held a board stating “Ratify E.R.A. Now!” This quote referred to women’s Equal Rights Amendment of 1923 which the 70’s feminism movement fought for but remained unchanged (Barliant). The most provocative action performed in her endeavor was standing in front to city hall a sign saying “Nothing Will Be s Before.” Hayes also held up a board with the popular slogan “I Am a Man” from the Memphis sanitation strike by African American workers protesting against racial discrimination in the workplace (Barliant). In her context, however, the phrase held a different meaning as she is white and a woman as well. She progressed her performance to Europe featuring cities like Paris, London, and Vienna.
In all her performances the invited audiences to document her activism. The result was 135 images which allowed her to tell her story through a presentation. The slides of the documentation were showcased as part of the “Near Future” performance (Barliant). Images from each section were displayed in a loop each on a different projector slide. All the projections were made concurrently which allowed the viewers to connect the different slogans. Hayes long performance was very inspirational as she addressed numerous social and political issues most people were busy ignoring. Also though her consistent style of “re-spoken” slogans she has been able to actively highlight issues in society that have been swept under the rug (Barliant). The artist is rightfully highly celebrated by her peers and the media.
Chris Burden
Burden is perhaps the most controversial male performance artist yet. In the history of American arts, his works have earned a place among the most shocking displays. Some of his acts include fetal position inside a locker, being Transfixed to a Volkswagen Beetle, and having a spectator push pins into his body being kicked down two flights of stairs (The Art Story). Also he had a performance where he was even shot. Burden did not associate himself with any art movement of his time. Like his peers, he used his body as his canvas. However, he recorded his performances focusing on the physical aspects of his performance as opposed to the ephemeral. Most of his actions seemed to push the boundaries of what performance art meant. In this way, Burden tackled some social, political issues (The Art Story). The 1970s were marked by violent images on television about the civil war which provided a background for Burden’s shows. Therefore, in his bizarre way, the man was an incredible performer.
The artist aimed at portraying the reality of pain to live audiences as the people had become very desensitized to the images of injured and dead soldiers (The Art Story). The ‘Shoot’ (1971) is one of his most popular performances. The show features his friend standing 15 feet away with a 22 rifle. The original plan was to slightly nick Burden’s hand although this is not what happened. The friend had a bad aim, and the bullet ended up going through the performer’s hand (The Art Story). The performance presented an accurate account of exactly what happens when a person gets shot. The pain witnessed by the audience made them recoil to the realization that a real person had been shot right in front of them. From another point of view, the performance explored themes like what power meant as well as giving and following orders as even the title read shoot. This performance made people ask themselves hard questions like what boundaries existed between rules and responsibilities for other human beings (The Art Story). The audience witnessing the performance was once again re-sensitized on the gruesome nature of violence as opposed to the regular images they saw on television. Therefore burdens performance was an unorthodox one but had a very significant impact on making people rethink violence.
Conclusion
Indeed, performance art is a broad category of artistic expression encompassing multiple disciplines. This form of art uses several mediums with the human body, almost always, at the center of it. The development of performance art has been along gender lines. For women, performance art movements started in the 1960s and gained popularity in the 70s. After a daring performance by Schneemann, feminism took center stage. For the next decade, women provocatively used their bodies to raise awareness to the various issues they faced as a generation. This movement declined over the decades, but some artist still embraces feminism in their performances. The development of male performance art took a somewhat different path although influenced by the rise of feminism. As women took up many of the gender roles in society, they challenged the traditional definition of masculinity. The response was a hemogenic male archetype represented by the suit as a symbol of authority. Male artists like Burden highlighted how men were forced to fit this new role in society. The two performance arts have a lot of similarities and a fundamental difference. Through the decades, several influential performers have stood out from the rest. These include people like Carolee Schneemann, Sharon Hayes, and Chris Burden. All of them have their unique niche in the performance arts that they have significantly affected.
Works Cited
Tannenbaum, Judith. Performing women, then and now, 2007, http://moorewomenartists.org/performing-women-then-now/ Accessed 13 Nov. 2017.
Cornwell, Alicia. Making the Man: ‘Suiting’ Masculinity in Performance Art, 2005, https://eaglefeather.honors.unt.edu/2005/article/189#.WgnO38aWbDf Accessed 13 Nov. 2017.
Flisher, Mark. Representations of Masculine Ideologies in Male Body-Based Performance Art, 2015, http://mark-flisher.squarespace.com/blog/arkflisher.com/2015/01/muscular-masculinity-representations-of.html Accessed 13 Nov. 2017.
The Art Story. Carolee Schneemann: American Performance Artist and Video Artist, 2017, http://www.theartstory.org/artist-schneemann-carolee.htm Accessed 13 Nov. 2017.
The Art Story. Important Art by Carolee Schneemann, 2017, http://www.theartstory.org/artist-schneemann-carolee-artworks.htm#pnt_4 Accessed 13 Nov. 2017.
Barliant, Claire. Sharon Hayes: In the Near Future, 2017, https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/26692 Accessed 13 Nov. 2017.
The Art Story. Chris Burden: American Sculptor and Performance Artist 2017, http://www.theartstory.org/artist-burden-chris.htm Accessed 13 Nov. 2017.
The Art Story. Important Art by Chris Burden, 2017, http://www.theartstory.org/artist-burden-chris-artworks.htm#pnt_1 Accessed 13 Nov. 2017.
