Midterm pt I

Performance Art is an art piece that can not be bought. Performance art is alive. It is a form of art that is played out live by actors in front of an audience. It can contain anything that the artist wishes or desires. It can provoke emotions and portray a message.

If I had to assemble a piece of performance art it would be something that would portray an environmental awareness theme. It would be memorable but also make sure people got the message.

It would consist of a series of rooms. Each room would rotate into the audience’s view via a carousel or other rotation device. Each room would contain a scene that is familiar to most viewers. The scene would be the traditional or typical American family gathered around a Christmas tree. Decorations would be hung on the tree and all around the room. There would be presents under the tree ready to be opened by the family. But most importantly the room would contain a large window so the audience could be outside of the room into what would normally be outside of the house.

The first room would contain the scene of a family from the 1950s. Everything would be in black and white to illustrate the time period as if it was begin seen on an old television. The tree being a real tree. The actors dressed for the period would silently act out a Christmas morning. Opening presents and embracing one another. In the window the audience would see a scene of a white Christmas strait out of a Christmas card. The second room would then come into view. This contains a modern family from the year 2000. Everything now in color and dressed like we would today. This time the tree would be plastic. The actors once again are doing the same silent acting. In the window this time is a green Christmas. No signs of to be seen.

The third room would contain a family from the future like the year 2050. Everything would be in color again. But now the family dressing as if they were in a heat wave. All sweaty with little clothes on and fans set up all around the room to keep cool. The tree this time is dried out and brown. The actors silently are acting as before. In the window this time the grass would then be dirt with the sun shining brightly through the window.

The fourth and final room would come into view. Everything in color, but once again in the future. But now instead of actors, immobile skeletons replace them. The whole room looks like its been dried out and been in the sun for to long. The tree is now down to its skeleton just like the people. In the window there is no signs of life. As if they were in the middle of a desert.
The actors would play out in silence because Christmas music like “White Christmas” would be playing to give the audience a familiar feeling of the winter holiday. But as the rooms change it invokes a sense of irony because it is no longer a wintry scene that we might find familiar.

The theme that I hope would become apparent to the audience as the rooms transition to a scene that is familiar to a scene that is alien and lifeless. Would be the concern that global warming is a serous issue that must be addressed. If not the familiar traditions that we hold dear will become extinct.

Midterm pt II

Marcel Duchamp was a French artist who was part of the Dadaist and Surrealist movements. He was a controversial artist whose artwork challenged traditional beliefs about artistic society and what art can be. The notions of what can and should be considered art is effected the art community. “The Duchamp Effect” is a collection of interviews by Martha Buskirk and Elizabeth Armstrong. They interview five different artists on how Duchamp’s work effected their own work and style.
The first artist interviewed by Elizabeth Armstrong was Bruce Conner. The way that Bruce Conner was influenced by Duchamp was through the way that the viewer was forced to question art and what art represented. Conner said that it wasn’t about whether you did understand what his pieces meant but if you could. This kind of questioning is what makes Duchamp so controversial and opened inquiry into what is art. Bruce Conner also takes notes that he himself didn’t sign anything he made while Duchamp signed things that he didn’t make. This influence an idea he had about making a rubber stamp that he would use to sign his works as well as other peoples works and random objects. This brings up an interest question. If some random object is signed is that considered a piece of art? Such as Duchamp did with his piece “Fountain”.

Marcel Duchamp "Fountain"

The idea that a normal object brought into a gallery setting becomes art, is a concept that Duchamp championed. This concept was discussed in Martha Buskirk’s interview of Sherrie Levine. One of her first works was entitled “Black Shoes”. The work was just a pair of black shoes based off of a pair of ordinary black shoes. Sherrie Levine continued the trend that Duchamp began of using ordinary or readymade objects. Another piece she made using a readymade object was “Chimera: After a Broken Leg” which was a plywood splint placed in the gallery setting. The idea of readymade objects becoming part of the artistic community is one example of Duchamp’s effect on artists like Sherrie Levine.
The next artist interviewed by Martha Buskirk was Louise Lawler. His impression of Duchamp’s influence on art was the way art should be less restrictive. In the interview he talks about one of his works that was intended to bring up the issues involved with the Helms amendment. This kind of political inspired art is art that is not restrictive. Traditional art wouldn’t allow for such controversial and political art.
The next artist interviewed by Martha Buskirk was Fred Wilson. The influence that Duchamp had on Wilson was the question of how art should be displayed. Wilson discusses how the space in which art is displayed is in some ways an art in itself. Wilson talks about how he likes display art in a way that will surprise the viewers.
The last artist interviewed by Elizibeth Armstrong was Ed Ruscha. His impression of the effect of Duchamp’s work was the revolution away from the traditions of painting. Ruscha describes that in a time where the tradition was using paints, Duchamp was using new mediums. Duchamp was the first artist to use a electric motor to add motion to art. It was this kind of new revolution in median that Ruscha credits Duchamp with.
Each artist interviewed all describes ways that Duchamp and his artwork had on influencing the art community. Each artist took on different elements of Duchamp’s effect, which shows the scoop of how he had an effect on artists and the art community.