Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Extended & Prosthetic Bodies

Any art where the body is a subject also deals with the subject of identity. Identity alteration can involve slight changes, like Paik & Moorman's cello, where Moorman only removes some clothing and assumes a position, or Horn's Finger Gloves.
Artistic identity alteration has taken a literal meaning with Orlan's performance plastic surgery operations whereby she remains conscious and an actie part of her performance, not leaving the performance to the surgeon as with traditional plastic surgery. Orlan's body is her material and the surgeon, her collaborator. To distinguish performance art from theatrical performance, it seems a new approach to materiality is required, as well as a transformation of object or identity with specific relation to the material.

In response to READING 1: "Extended and Prosthetic Bodies" from The Artists' Body ed. Tracey Warr
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