Performance Art: Are You Technology?

For my performance art project I was planning on walking around a park near my house wearing a disemboweled television, to signify how technology has become such a large part of our lives. Throughout the years technology has literally become a part of us and I thought this performance was a good way to demonstrate that. On the way to the park, my brother who was originally going to be my camera man offered to wear the television for me. The above video is the finished product. For some reason, after I uploaded the video to youtube a green line and pink shapes appeared...this was not on the original video. I'm no technical expert, but I tried to upload the video again and I couldn't figure out a way to fix it, so my apologies.

Below are some pictures of the dismantling of the television.

Scopitones

This is an example of a video found on the Scopitone, Marie-Hélène's "Truddie." The Scopitone was a very interesting invention which was invented in France in the early 1960's. It went on to only gain popularity in Europe. It was basically a jukebox, except instead of playing solely music, it offered a variety of music videos to be watched on demand.

Advertising vs Propaganda

Advertising and propaganda are definitely similar, but wholly different at the same time. Both look to sell something, in advertising this "something" is nothing but a product. The purpose of propaganda is to sell an idea, or a mode of thought. Usually this has to do with dedication to a country and will tend to appear during times of war.


Propaganda vs Advertisement

Eva & Adele and Flash Mobs

"We are from the future" says Eva of Eva & Adele. This is thoroughly plausible, there aren't many people likened to this outrageous couple in our times. They have gotten plastic surgery to look exactly the same, making gender a moot point. They do everything the same, go to the same places and eat the same food, attempting to become one being. They are a living work of art but they are also artists, they paint self portraits frequently. They also love to receive pictures of them, seeing their live art in action.

This flash mob doesn't include a choreographed dance, but it does stick to the standard of flash mobs as being a planned performance in an unsuspecting crowd. The set up is great, a man is about to give a speech and all of a sudden another man starts beating a huge drum. Then a man takes the microphone and starts beat boxing, and slowly others appear with other instruments, resulting in a beautiful musical piece.

Iconoclast

An Iconoclast is someone who supports deliberate destruction of religious icons. Usually this destruction comes with motives which are political or religious, an attempt to rebel and make a statement. Throughout history, in times of revolution or when a government was being overthrown iconoclastic actions were prevalent. Such instances include the French Revolution where revolutionaries destroyed a statue of King Louis XV, in retaliation to the throne. King Louis XVI was later guillotined in the same location. During the American Revolution the Sons of Liberty destroyed a statue of George III of England, pictured below, in a similar manner.

Rebellions of these types are a way of revolutionaries to show the power they have, which is often underestimated by their rulers. A modern example could be Andres Serrano's photo entitled Piss Christ, in which he depicts the crucifix submerged in urine.

iwishtosay.org & Joseph Beuys

Sheryl Oring began a project where she set up a typewriter to ask people on the street "If I were the president, what would you say?" Then they must keep whatever they are trying to say concise enough to fit on her postcards. She has sent over 2,000 postcards to the White House. This is a really interesting project, which is also an outlet for many Americans to express themselves about things they are rarely asked about. Now she has a website, www.iwishtosay.org set up with an archive of her work.

Joseph Beuys was a German Fluxus artist. He was active in the late 60's and early 70's. In this time period he created many instances of performance art, art that has its value from the people who witness it and is preserved only by their memory. He would always try to make a social statement with his work, whether it was political or simply humanitarian. In this video he is seated in front of a T.V in Berlin, 1970.