Post 6-Performance Art- Deanna Currington

 PERFORMANCE ART POST 6

Performance art is art that happens in real time. Not always does this leave behind a physical piece of art. There isn't anything to hang or put a price on. As I was watching the video, a couple of statements stood out to me. "Art that couldn't be easily bought or sold." I love that because it shifts the value into the experience rather than just money. There are ways you can still profit from it, of course, but the focus is on the interaction between the artist and the audience.

Another statement I wanted to quote was, "It is an artist's duty to reflect the times." When I heard this statement, it almost made me feel like maybe I need to create something to reflect and release through art what is happening in the world, somehow. I feel like a lot of us are carrying the burden and troubles of the world on our backs, and we need to sit with these emotions and reflect on these things and find some type of outlet. It doesn't even have to be art. Even if it was just journaling, writing down your troubles of the day. We need to engage socially and be present. We need to create. 

Performance art, an introduction 

"Shifting attention from the art object to the artist’s action further suggested that art existed in real space and real time."

This quote reminded me that we also need to value the journey of creating art just as much as we value the finished piece. Now, when it comes to performance art, that journey is happening in real time. When we are creating, that is the performance. The moment of the body, the thoughts, and the emotions. When you look at a painting in a gallery, you don't see the build-up and the action of how that painting became great; you just see the finished product. I would honestly sit and watch something paint because I can learn MORE from it than I would from looking at the painting on the wall. 

"Because performance art emphasized the artist’s action and the viewer’s experience in real space and time, it rarely yielded a final object to be sold, collected, or exhibited."

This quote speaks on how performance art challenges capital because again this isn't something that can be easily bought or sold. These make it more accessible for people to see it no matter how much money they have. This gives the artist control to bring forth what they see and feel is valued. It is about the experience and the impact and not the profit.

Yoko Ono’s Art of Defiance | The New Yorker

"He said that one of the most important things he learned from teaching the class was something Ichiyanagi had said to him in response to a suggestion: “I am not you."

I liked this quote because it shows how important it is to remember we are all indiviuals. Everything is living a unique experience. Yes we may share things as a collective but our stories arent 100% the same. So by speaking up and sharing our story and speaking up for ourselves we are able to create a safe space where others feel comfortable to do the same.

"But he had given birth to SoHo. It would become, in the nineteen-eighties, the world capital of contemporary art."

First, I wanted to share this quote because I didn't know the history of SoHo. It is interesting to know that art (like we spoke about in class) can disrupt systems and reclaim and reshape a space. Both of these quotes are about creating space for people to be seen and heard through art.

The Art of Activism

"...this is not a singular movement proper to any one place or time, but multiple different movements that continue to evolve."

Throughout our lives, we will see so many moments or forms of activism going on. We need to remember that moments are fluid and ever-changing. Things grow and change over time. It may be a new leaf on a plant, but it's still the same plant! There are so many experiences shaping this over time and it has to adapt to the current cultural and political climate. 

"Where we have been shapes who we are now, as well as what we can imagine for the future."

This quote shows the connection between past, present, and future. This makes me see history and my past as a source of strength, resilience, and inspiration. Since art activism pulls from our personal and collective stories, it makes the experience more real to others. Being able to reflect on the past is a way we can push toward change.