PERFORMANCE ART: OTHER HISTORIES
At present, there is a critical consensus that the most radical type of art is live art or performance art, which has its roots in both conceptual art and experimental theatre. Academics have argued that live art, because it is so difficult to reproduce and thus to absorb into the art market, is inherently more transgressive than either a scripted theatrical performance or art based on object making. In spite of critical approbation, there has been surprisingly little written about artists who use their own bodies in the art press. In academic texts the same artists are mentioned again and again, while other equally important and influential artists receive little or no coverage. At present, Roselee Goldberg’s histories of performance art are the only comprehensive surveys available. Although a valuable resource, these texts are in no way exhaustive, covering a fraction of the artists that are out there while narrowing the work of the artists that are covered down to one or two seminal pieces. The purpose of this panel is to explore the issues raised by the documentation, exhibition, distribution, and publicity of live art by taking the opportunity to explore the careers of the following artists, all of whom are at the NRLA in 2007: Anne Seagrave, Silvia Ziranek, Robert Ayers, Alastair Maclennan, Marilyn Arsem, Monali Meher, Chumpon Apisuk, and Boris Nieslony. Chaired by Jennie Klein, Ohio University, USA.