Performance Art

I could be doing a Thanksgiving post, but everybody’s doing that. Suffice it to say I hope you all have a happy one, and let’s talk more about performance art.

Specifically, the genre of "Conceptual Art." Now, this is a particularly touchy subject, because it’s the part of performance art that usually gets held up by critics (especially people who don’t like funding arts) as worthless. "He just drove nails through his scrotum into a board!" they cry. "That’s not art! That’s WASTING our MONEY!"

Now, let’s not get started on other places that money is wasted, or that artists (who also pay taxes) might object their tax dollars going to. Personally, I object to my tax dollars going to abstinence education. But I do still pay them.

No, let’s talk about whether or not it is or is not art. Better yet, let’s just let a Times reporter (the U.K. times, that is) give a very clear article about the history of performance art.

"Certain organs of the media see it as their duty to mock or to be outraged by what is seen as business as usual within the art world. “How can this be art?” they howl with monotonous regularity, but for me “what is good art?” is a much more interesting inquiry."

I have to agree. In this case, he’s talking about the rumor that artist Chloe Steele might use a government-funded residency for artists to (gasp!) do nothing. This seems, to him, to be a brave statement in a world filled with so many desperately over-saturated media, with so many stunts (David Blaine, anyone?).

It’s a good article, and it’s too bad that in the end, Chloe’s decision to "do nothing" seems to be nothing more than a miscommunication. We should have more art like that, though. The Art of Relaxing. Sleeping. Enjoying life.

Good night, all. I’ve got some art waiting for me on my pillow…