performance art

I now have a new found respect for those "weirdos" that hang themselves from trees and practice endurance by slamming their bodies into seal beams. Prior to this class these stunts seemed like nothing more then a cry for atttention but i now realize the time, dedication and elaborate thought process that goes behind each work. In my digital arts class i actually did a presentation on nam june paik, a man whose significance i failed to understand. His massive tv sculputures are uncomprehensible when you see them in pictures. Watching his documentary gave me an understanding of his wacky personality and just how amazing a hundred tv sets was 30 years ago. Yoko Ono is another performer that I knew of, yet didnt realize her importance besides being married to a beatle. The performance, cut off, makes a strong statement for exposing internal suffering as well as fights the staple gender issue. On a lighter note, kinda, Bob Flanagan brought humor into performance art. Fighting for his life, bob found performance art to be the perfect outlet. His sometime comedic, groteque and depressing stunts were always an expression of him and the disease that defines him.