PERFORMANCE ART POST 7 - VALENTINA PENA

Chapter 4 - Culture

“With just food and water we might be able to live, but without culture we’d be little more than a meat machine whirring away without ever being able to do anything meaningful.”

This quote caught my attention because it brings out the issue of how much culture is a part of what it means to be human. We don’t just survive what gives our life meaning is our ability to create, express ourselves, and connect through culture. Without it we may go on physically but not in terms of emotion or creativity. Also this plays out in performance art and activism which use culture as a medium to put across ideas, to tell stories, and to bring people together. Culture allows us to question the world, express our identity and bring about change which is what makes life feel like more than a mechanical process.

“Popular culture is fantasy stories, not literary fiction; it’s pop lyrics, not poetry readings. It’s Batman movies, home makeover shows on TV, Minecraft, Fortnight, and Call of Duty video games, People and OK magazines, and, of course, videos featuring cats doing all sorts of cute things. It’s entertainment, not art. But pop culture serves the same function as high Culture: it is a representation of society as it is or aspires to be.”

This quote caught my attention because it puts forth the idea that popular culture is not in fact of a lesser importance than what we term high art or traditional art. Although we may think of things like video games, movies, and social media as just for fun, in reality they are mirrors which reflect our society and what we value. Also I find it interesting how the quote also brings up that both pop culture and high culture play the same role they tell our world’s stories, our dreams and our issues. Also this relates to performance art and activism which see to use elements of pop culture to make their work more relevant and accessible. When people see something they recognize in that work of art, be it a game or a movie reference, it makes the message more personal and thus they in turn are more likely to engage with it in a more in depth way.

Hispanic Executive | Interview with Shaun Leonardo - Performance, Pedagogy, and Philosophy

“I attribute my work ethic to them. However, it was in the mentality of striving for the best that I was also taught that success meant economic stability and mobility. And so art wasn’t really within my vision as a child: I never quite know what inspired me, other than the moments where I did see and take in art.”

This quote stood out to me because what Shaun Leonardo describes is how his background played a role in forming his thought process and his art. He was raised to value hard work and success and at the time was defined by traditional standards of stability and financial security. That being the case art did not at first seem like a practical path. I think that is a issue many people face which is that we don’t always see creative fields as stable or secure. What I love is that he did end up in art via small exposures. That which is powerful is not that which came from a single defining moment but from experiences which play out over time. Also this plays into performance art which many artists use their personal issues and past as material which they turn into very meaningful and expressive pieces.

“we feel compelled to act, act, act—to respond, respond, respond—and artists don’t operate best in that rhythm. Artists need to take in, to process, to decipher, to separate from the noise and create things that are beautiful and impactful to the spirit. Artists have to offer a different type of slowness to work against the speed of today.”

This passage I found very powerful it is that puts into relief the issue of speed in which we live versus the artist’s world. Today we are all about instant gratification we are always reacting, posting and replying which leaves no room for in depth thought. But this quote brings to light that artists require time out of that rush, they need space to slow down, reflect and process what is going on in the world. Also it is that which allows them to produce work which is meaningful and has impact. I think this also plays out in performance art, although a performance may look like it is in the moment it is in fact the result of great thought and intent. Also it brings to notice how art pushes back against the speed which we see as the norm by creating spaces for pause, reflection and feeling.

Performance Art Activism

“We are part of multiple cultures existing simultaneously: the culture of the region we are from, the cultures of the age, gender, class, sex, religious, and ethnic groups we are part of, and the cultures, including alternative cultures, that we create ourselves. These cultures may be complementary or contradictory, and, together, they make up who we are and how we make sense of the world.”

This passage puts forth how identity is in fact many things at the same time, not just one thing. We are shaped by our past, our background, our beliefs and also the companies we keep. At times these elements work in harmony and at others they do not which in turn plays a role in the complexity of identity. Also this ties into performance art which is a great medium through which artists put forward their exploration of identity’s many layers. In performance art we see how different cultures play a role in shaping who we are and how we see the world. Also it brings to the fore that identity is not a black and white issue, rather it is a dynamic and ever changing issue which we are in the process of constantly redefining.