Orlan

I am not quite sure what to say about Orlan. Her performance art is some of the most bizarre I have seen yet. I am still trying to get a grip on the concept of some performance art... I do appreciate all forms of art, but I don't really understand all of them. I like the idea of Orlan reforming her body to famous art icons, I just personally think it is a bit extreme to harm your own body. I just have this view because I hold strong to the belief that we should take care of our bodies and respect them because of all they do for us and the life they give us. I understand that this is her life, performance art is her life, I'm just not crazy about the gorey aspect of it. I thought that her performance with the coin slot where people exchanged coins for kisses was really cool. I'm still trying to open my mind to the more extreme performances...

Thoughts on Fluxus...

A lot of the concepts of fluxus seem to have come from John Cage and his experiments with music. There are remnants of the Dada period found within the fluxus ideas. They turn away from traditional art and focus on the practice of simplicity. I like how a lot of the work from the Fluxus are collaborations. I did a little research and it seems that some of the head-runners were John Cage, Dick Higgins, Nam June Paik, Joseph Beuys, La Monte Young, and Yoko Ono. I appreciate how much of their work exists in real spaces, out in the world, it is not necessarily art hanging in a gallery. I think it is refreshing work, a bit out of the ordinary, but interesting none-the-less.

Marcel Duchamp's Mona Lisa

Marcel Duchamp's remake of the Mona Lisa features a mustache and a goatee. Also, the letters below her name, when pronounced in French state "She has a hot ass." It's a pretty bold piece because the Mona Lisa is such a famous work of art. Some people would see Duchamp's work as degrading but I don't think art should ever be taken too seriously. Part of the beauty of art is its ability to be interpreted differently by each viewer. This work is one of many Duchamp's pieces that challenges people to look at art in new contexts.