The Artist Is Present, 2010.
Human bodies, water bottle, table, chairs, The Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Art Must Be Beautiful, Artist Must Be Beautiful, 1975.
Human body, hair brush.
Rest Energy with Ulay, 1980.
Human bodies, bow, string, arrow, microphones, heart beats.
Rhythm 0, 1974.
Human body, chain, ring, lipstick, pictures, rose.
Lips of Thomas, 1975.
Human body, razor blade, cross, ice, heater, blood, table, chair, boots.
Marina Abramovic was born on November 30, 1946. She is a Serbian artist who began her career in the early 1970s. She uses herself in all her pieces and refers to herself as the “Grandmother of Performance Art.” Marina tests her limits in order to transform herself. Her work reflects the relationship between performer and audience, the limits of the body, and the possibilities of the mind (Wikipedia). In her performances, she deals with what she calls “true reality.” She has stabbed her hand with knives, sliced her stomach with razor blades, and laid naked on a cross of ice for hours to express physical and psychological pain. She has also allowed the public to abuse her body, and she nearly died in one of her performances, while laying inside a flaming star made of petrol-soaked sawdust. She goes to these extremes to express herself because she believes that a powerful performance will transform everyone in the room (http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2010/oct/03/interview-marina-abramovic-performance-artist).
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I really enjoyed learning about “The Artist Is Present” in class. Especially, learning about how Abramovic’s ex-lover came to visit her during the performance. I am not usually a fan of performance art, but there is truly something captivating about her that makes it seem worth while. I can completely resonate with the people who stood in line for hours on end just to sit at the other end of the table from her.
I believe this artist is so unique in her own way, but also crazy as well. Reading about some of her works made my skin crawl, I was so shocked to read about the extreme lengths she took to execute some of her performances such as cutting her stomach with razors or laying naked on ice for hours. I think its hard for some people to see her dedication when it interferes with life and death.