There is a common idea that artists must suffer for their art, at least for the artwork to be truly impactful. This notion is perhaps especially true with performance art, where sometimes the artist doesn’t just suffer but may even actually die. Here is some truly shocking performance art that went too far, cost the artist their life or is otherwise extremely distasteful.
Posts published in “Performance Art”
The world of acting, music and theatre may appear to many as a wonderland of fun and creativity. Just imagine being able to sing, dance and act for a living – if you’re a performer at heart, it doesn’t get much better than that.
As perhaps the oldest form of creative expression in human history, performance art – in its modern format – is a comparatively new addition to the world of western fine arts. Its path has been winding – in the context of modern and contemporary art history – until its ultimate acceptance. Now performance art has a leading status. From early developers of the form to current mould-breakers, we explore some of the top players in the constant evolution of this so very human form of expression.
There have been a range of different myths and superstitions that have plagued theatre for many years. Most stemming from the olden days of theatre, it’s surprising to see that some of these myths are still alive and well.
Thespians can be surprisingly superstitious folk, this could be as they were trained to be that way, or just a clutch for anything that could prevent mishaps on stage. Regardless of why, there are some pretty strange superstitions which are ongoing until today.
While the phrases ‘performance’ as well as ‘performance art’ only became used widely in the 70s, the history of performance in terms of the visual arts is frequently traced back to futurist productions in addition to dada cabarets in the 1910s.
Censorship in the artwork world was very much alive in 2017. Though most of the exhibitions and infractions mentioned occurred in locations where censorship is common, it shines the spotlight on how how censorship in the art world has continued to increase.
Mankind has long had a fascination with the theatrical. From the ancient Egyptians to the ancient Romans, putting on live performances was a way to keep the people entertained, especially during years when life was difficult for the public. Not only did it improve morale, but it added a layer of culture to the region that was missing beforehand.
For so long, it was thought that an actor was either a stage actor or a film actor. Many did not believe in crossing over from one to the other because there is quite the difference in the technique required to pull off convincing performances.
While the emotion and character depth might be the same, theater is so much bigger and film is so much smaller.
Being a famous actor on Broadway is considered a true crowning achievement in a person’s acting career. The strip of theatres in New York City have been home to countless well-known actors, many of which eventually moved on to the big screen to become common household names.
The theater and the people who inhabit the world I really do like their superstitions and their traditions. Some of the more commonly known ones are things like not to whistle backstage or never say good luck before a performance but rather tell the actor to break a leg. These kinds of traditions are global in the theater realm.