Body + Process - Body/Object Ritual

Body/Object Ritual Assignment:
Interact with an object or substance in an unexpected way.

Objectives:
Exploration of the body in live art
Significance and possible symbolic content of chosen material or substance
Generation of performance from ritual

For her performance, Sarah opened a glass cookie jar filled with dirt and preceded to darken her skin by rubbing dirt into her skin. The work was inspired by her childhood fantasy to possess the dark skin of her Indian friend.

Jeremy chose lipstick as his substance. He put on lipstick, kissed a sheet of paper, dunked the paper into a basin of soapy water and then hung the paper to dry on a small wash-line. He then repeated the task. The work evoked issues of gender, intimacy and domestic life.

Performing Gender - Body/Object Ritual

Body/Object Ritual Assignment:

Interact with a gendered object or substance in an unexpected way.

Objectives:

Use gesture to motivate performance art
Exploration of the body in live art
Significance and symbolic content of chosen material or substance in relation to gender issues
Generation of performance from ritual rather than narrative source

Casey was inspired by the work of Vanessa Beecroft, whom we had recently studied in class. Beecroft creates performances peopled by silent, frozen women, who function nearly as living mannequins. Casey stood passively in a pair tights and stiletto heels to question the role gender could play in such a structure. His work also engages issues of homoerotism and the fetish object.

Emily substituted a hammer for a brush and enacted a violent form of painting. She evoked action painting and engaged issues of gender and aggression.

Michelle subverted the proper lady-like connotations of the white glove, as she did sets of push-ups while wearing the gloves. There was a decided tension as she aimed to compensate for the slippery barrier between her hand and the floor. Her breathing and exhaustion became more apparent with each set of push-ups and her exhaustion was palpable as the floor soiled the gloves.