Post 6_Faaria

Performance Art

Among the myriad forms of art people use to express themselves, performance has to be the most versatile. Performance is a type of art form that involves an artist actually performing in real life and conveying a message through their physical actions, emotions, or presence. It is usually done by involving the audience and making them participate in the performance. To me, the word "performance" would’ve been any artist just performing their music in a stadium with a bunch of their fans, but after reading these articles and watching the videos, it made me realize it's way more than that. A quote from the reading is that performance art “challenges traditional ideas about what art can be.” It means that performance can be used to provoke change or challenge societal boundaries through art. It feels like a form of activism that can be political and artistic at the same time. The readings and the videos really educated me about how performances are just simple actions, but they are extremely impactful. Yoko Ono’s performance has to be my favorite, and I really enjoyed reading the article. The most powerful example was when the audience was invited to come up and cut pieces of her clothing. While this may seem a simple gesture, it was thought-provoking. It made me realize how the audience is actively involved. The power balance between the audience and the artist was interesting to see. The quote “successful activism connects emotionally with people” struck me because performance is based on different themes like vulnerability, emotions, and humane connection. Due to such emotional responses, people can begin to think differently and help social change. 

Performance Art, An Introduction (Smarthistory)

"It often forces us to think about issues in a way that can be disturbing and uncomfortable, but it can also make us laugh by calling attention to the absurdities in life and the idiosyncrasies of human behavior."

This quote explains that through performance, artists can bring attention to certain issues prevalent in society by using humor, even though it makes us feel uncomfortable. It can be similar to the memes that are used as activism. By bringing uncomfortable topics wrapped up in a layer of humor, artists can provoke thoughts in people's minds that would make them question things.

"Through their words and actions, they confronted their audiences and raised issues about the relationship of female experience to cultural beliefs and institutions, physical appearance, and bodily functions, including menstruation and childbearing."

This is an interesting quote, as it emphasizes how performance and art were used as a medium to overcome taboos associated with female bodies. Institutions that sexualized or looked down upon naturally occurring phenomena like childbirth, menstruation, gender bias, and so on were challenged through performances. This confrontation through art made people question their beliefs, often originating from their cultural or religious influences.

Yoko Ono’s Art of Defiance (The New Yorker)

"No matter what you think of the strength of the art, you can admire the strength of the person who made it."

"Instead of giving the audience what the artist chooses to give, as she put it, “the artist gives what the audience chooses to take."

These quotes reflect how Yoko Ono leaves it up to the audience to interpret her artwork. She also has a sense of vulnerability with the audience so that they are in control. Even if someone does not understand the meaning behind the art she made, they can still like her and her strong character and immense courage. In her performance, she shows how far she is willing to go to challenge societal expectations even though it makes her vulnerable or uncomfortable.

Chapter 3: HISTORY (The Art of Activism)

"We are always drawing from repositories of words, images, and meanings that already exist. This is what makes changing society so hard: we are working within the very culture we are trying to change." 

This quote is interesting because its the ultimate truth for everyone who is trying to push back or make a change. The truth is that they are working within the very society or the culture they're trying to change and its never easy. People who provoke new ideas and change are met with resistance no matter what but challenging the culture or society you once were a part of is time consuming and difficult. 

"And most people would simply rather look away from things that make them  uncomfortable. By dramatizing those aspects of reality that are hard to see, or that we are reluctant to look at, we can make the invisible visible."

This quote connects to the previous quote and adds to why creating change is a difficult process. Because change is an uncomfortable experience and many people refuse to get out of their comfort zones to confront what's wrong. But through art and activism people can be forced to think about change in one way or the other. It makes the problems that exist more visible and looking away becomes impossible. Art can be uncomfortable for some and its usually because its working and is inspiring the REAL CHANGE we all deserve.