"ART"


What is art? Everyone has their own definition. But I've stumbled upon a type of "art" that I refuse to call "art."

The movement of Actionism is little known to the general populous and consists of a myriad of disturbing works that I've been forced to learn about through an upper level art history class. It's a good thing I go into this class every T and TH hungry.

So first of all, lets define actionism, this is how Term Wiki describes it "English version of general German term for Performance art, but was specifically used for the name of the Vienna-based group Wiener Aktionismus founded in 1962. The principal members of the group were Gunter Brus, Hermann Nitsch and Rudolph Schwarzkogler."

So it's this type of "art" that (from what I can tell) utilizes dead animals, genitals and blood to create "pieces of art."

Take for example Acconi's Seedbed, Sonnabend Gallery, NYC 1972.

The picture looks unassuming enough and you're probably wondering where the "art" is...well...one person was allowed to walk upon the ramp at a time. Underneath the ramp was Acconi, jacking off to the sound of the person's footsteps. CReEpY much????? Think about the work's name again..."Seedbed." YEAH.

Okay, so that's not even the most disturbing thing we've covered. I won't even show you a picture of Nitsch's Aktion-where a dude took a sheep (I'm not sure if he killed it or it was already dead) and cut it open and used its intestines and blood as materials for the "painting."

Oh and then there was VALIE EXPORT's "Genital Panic" ... yeah, let your mind soak that one in. I will spare you a photo of that one. Anyway so this lady changed her name to VALIE EXPORT and Genital Panic is the photographic result of an event in which EXPORT walked around at eye level in crotch-less pants. The GP piece is a pic of her and her exposed crotch.

Who knew I would learn so much this semester....I wish I could undo what I have seen. If you pour hand sanitizer in your ear, will it sanitize your brain? Just kidding...

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