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Cut: NYTimes Review

You can read the article here or get it from the course Blackboard site.

Choose one artist from the article and look them up on the web. What media does their work refer to, or borrow from, and how does their manipulation create new meaning? Please comment below-- or, if your web search turns up images or media, feel free to make a new blog post.

Marina Ambrovic at the MOMA

Marina Ambrovic is a fascinating figure– she was instrumental in shaping the field of performance at in the 70s and 80s, and she is still making vital, challenging performance art.

Her 3 month live performance at the MOMA, which was captured in a live feed of images on Flickr, is both simple and moving. She engages members of the audience in a staring contest. As participants try to suppress their blinking instinct, they are driven to tears, and she photographs them at this moment of vulnerability.

It is also a fascinating that her own trajectory as an artist has mirrored trends in the art world. Performance art of the 70s and 80s was often extreme– the artist against against some threatening element. For example, Ambrovic’s “Rest Energy” where she stands in tension with a partner who his holding back the bow of an arrow, pointed at her heart. Or, another extreme example– Chris Burden’s “Shoot.” But Ambrovic’s “The Artist is Present” is a very social performance. It is still extreme in the patience, endurance, and commitment required to perform all day long for 3 months. But, it engages the audience– anyone who is willing to wait in line to sit across from her. And further, it utilizes social media– images were posted publicly on Flickr as they were taken.

The MOMA site has a number of great interviews with Ambrovic… in particular, the title “What is Performance Art,” as well as fascinating videos on her background and the making of the exhibit.

http://moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2010/marinaabramovic/

MUTO by artist BLU

Some summer inspiration... amazing graffitti artist/animation piece, with a fun sound track...



Artist website: http://www.blublu.org/sito/updates/updates.htm

Artist blog: http://blublu.org/sito/blog/