Catherine Yassin on fri 23 apr 04
In a message dated 4/23/2004 8:42:44 PM Central Standard Time,
gilois@BELLATLANTIC.NET writes:
> As far a Michael Jackson goes, well, I just can't explain that one.
>
Hahaha! Or Joan Rivers or Dolly Parton (not talking about her boobs.. have
you seen her face recently?), or that woman who calls herself The Catwoman? If
Orlan is a performance artist then these people should be too!
-Cat Yassin
San Antonio
Catherine Yassin on fri 23 apr 04
In a message dated 4/23/2004 8:42:44 PM Central Standard Time,
gilois@BELLATLANTIC.NET writes:
> I'm going to agree with Gayle on this one. Body Modification has been
> going
> on - in many forms - since the beginning of mankind, whether it is a tribal
> practice or a beauty ritual.
>
Even though I don't consider this woman, Orlan, as an "artist". I do respect
her right and freedom of expression. I think what I take exception with is her
comment that in order for art to justify itself, it has to shock. I can
appreciate a painting or sculpture in its own beauty without the shock effect. I
just don't like it when people who call themselves artist dictate exactly what
"is" art. LOL, perhaps I am being hypocritical when I say what I deem "isn't"
art.
I have seen some absolutely beautiful tatoos. And I believe that tatoo
artists are indeed artists. But I question if this woman Orlan is giving the right
person credit for what she is considering "art". She is saying she is the
artwork, but wouldn't it be the surgeon doing the plastic surgery who is the
artist?
-Cat Yassin
San Antonio
Catherine Yassin on fri 23 apr 04
There is a French performance artist, Orlan, who has take "art" to a whole
'nuther level... plastic surgery! Orlan " who has undergone numerous plastic
surgeries to transform her face and body to challenge traditional perceptions of
beauty, says art "has to shock." "
But I want to know, DOES art "have to shock"? And is this something else
other than "art"?
The following is taken from an article by Chaka Ferguson, AP:
" And with her carnal art - which has included reshaping her face to resemble
Zimbabwe's Ndebele giraffe women and performing during her surgeries - she
achieves that end."
"The whole idea of (my work) is to be against the idea of social pressure put
on a woman's body," Orlan said through an interpreter Thursday during a
discussion of her work at Manhattan's Museum of Arts & Design. The 56-year-old
artist was joined by Dr. Dimitri Panfilov, a plastic surgeon from the private
clinic, "Nefrititi" in Bonn, Germany.
Orlan, whose only noticeable cosmetic enhancement was a pair of bulging
saline implants embedded over her eyebrows, said, "I am against the ideas of normal
beauty."
For Orlan, plastic surgery isn't tummy tucks, liposuction, breast reduction
or lip augmentation. It's an expression of the sublime and grotesque,
eccentricities carved into human flesh and sculpted in living bone.
"Art has to shock to justify itself," she said.
For those of you with AOL, you can see the article and picture of Ms. Orlan
at:
http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/entertainment/article.adp?id=20040423053309990003
-Cat Yassin
San Antonio
claybair on fri 23 apr 04
Cat,
I would say it is an art form as much as tattooing
& many other "decorative" body alterations throughout
history. I might categorize Orlan's art differently and call it
Mutilation Theatre.
Gayle Bair
Bainbridge Island, WA
http://claybair.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Catherine Yassin
There is a French performance artist, Orlan, who has take "art" to a whole
'nuther level... plastic surgery! Orlan " who has undergone numerous plastic
surgeries to transform her face and body to challenge traditional
perceptions of
beauty, says art "has to shock." "
But I want to know, DOES art "have to shock"? And is this something else
other than "art"?
snip<
Lois Ruben Aronow on fri 23 apr 04
I'm going to agree with Gayle on this one. Body Modification has been going
on - in many forms - since the beginning of mankind, whether it is a tribal
practice or a beauty ritual.
I think this is just the 21st century version. Pete Burns, from the band
"Dead or Alive" has also done extreme plastic surgery as an art form. Maybe
sticking a plate in your lip has gone out of vogue, as have giant neck rings
that make you look like a fabulously decorated giraffe.
As far a Michael Jackson goes, well, I just can't explain that one.
.....Lo
The mom with the giant tattoo
> I would say it is an art form as much as tattooing & many
> other "decorative" body alterations throughout history. I
> might categorize Orlan's art differently and call it
> Mutilation Theatre.
>
Iris Artist on sat 24 apr 04
I think I said this once before, but maybe I sent it to an individual instead of to the clay-list. I can't stand "shock" art. I recognise it's purpose, but I think it's cheating. What happenned to technique? If it doesn't make a statement it can't be Art, that's absurd. I guess Monet, or Rothko's, or thousands of other great works, aren't art, since many of theme were tributes to using about color. Ugh.... This makes me grind my teeth.
~Stäcy, who prefers the hard way, not the basal, disgusting and obscene. It's just more rewarding that way.
Catherine Yassin wrote:
In a message dated 4/23/2004 8:42:44 PM Central Standard Time,
gilois@BELLATLANTIC.NET writes:
> I'm going to agree with Gayle on this one. Body Modification has been
> going
> on - in many forms - since the beginning of mankind, whether it is a tribal
> practice or a beauty ritual.
>
Even though I don't consider this woman, Orlan, as an "artist". I do respect
her right and freedom of expression. I think what I take exception with is her
comment that in order for art to justify itself, it has to shock. I can
appreciate a painting or sculpture in its own beauty without the shock effect. I
just don't like it when people who call themselves artist dictate exactly what
"is" art. LOL, perhaps I am being hypocritical when I say what I deem "isn't"
art.
I have seen some absolutely beautiful tatoos. And I believe that tatoo
artists are indeed artists. But I question if this woman Orlan is giving the right
person credit for what she is considering "art". She is saying she is the
artwork, but wouldn't it be the surgeon doing the plastic surgery who is the
artist?
-Cat Yassin
San Antonio
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Karen Terpstra on mon 26 apr 04
I just opened an Art and Design catalogue from Palgrave/Macmillan Press.
They are advertising a new book called "In the Flesh: the Cultural
Politics of Body Modification" by Victoria Pitts, Assistant Prof. of
Sociology, Queen's College, City University of New York.
She has compiled research in "contemporary body modification, focusing
on the ways sexuality, gender and ethnicity are being reconfigured
through new body technologies-not only tattooing, but piercing,
cyberpunk and such "neotribal" practices as scarification. She
interprets the stories of sixteen body modifiers (as well as some
subcultural magazines and films) using the tools of feminist and queer
theory. Pitts not only covers a hot topic but also situates it in a
theoretical context." (palgrave-macmillan)
I don't know if Orlan is mentioned or featured in this book.
I looked up a few of the websites Orlan is featured in. The way Orlan
presents herself as "art" is as viable in my opinion as the other above
mentioned techniques of body modification. I'm interested in the way
artists assimilate work and ideas from other cultures just as we have
seen in body piercing, tattoos, etc.
Orlan's work is new and unusual for us. Work that is new and unusual
has been highly criticized throughout history; including work we now
revere as masterpieces.
We all have our own personal definition of "beauty"; we all have our own
definition of a good "aesthetic". (Note I'm not telling you whether "I
like" Orlan's work or not.)
Trying to define what is art is as difficult as the art vs. craft
debate. Right now we are in a post Post-Modern era. We (including
critics) don't really even have a name for what we are doing right now.
Regards,
Karen Terpstra
Associate Professor of Art
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
1725 State Street
La Crosse, WI 54601
Email: Terpstra.kare@uwlax.edu
Voice mail: 608-785-8842
http://www.uwlax.edu/faculty/terpstra/
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