Remarkable Artist. Marina Abramovic - Essay Example

? Remarkable Artist Instruction Fashion is a reference to all things that are popular within a said culture at any one time. It is inclusive of areas such as dress codes, literature, architecture and art. It is imperative to point out that fashion changes with time. As such, it is often employed to describe the latest version of accessories and trends. Widely cited, term fashion is synonymous with style, glamour and beauty. This implies that when art is regarded as fashion, it must fall in line with these traits (Verte?s, Holme and Davis 1944, P.7). In the setting of the contemporary society, what a person wears is regarded as a fashion statement. In this paper, the focus is on art and within this context art shall be approached from the point that it has a key role to play as regards fashion. In this endeavour, an analysis shall be focused on Marina Abramovic who has always motivated me to work towards my lifelong dream considering his excellent performances. Generally, I chose this artist after having observed his consistence impressive performance. Few performers of art elicit mixed reactions on stage such as those promoted by Marina Abramovic. Few artists can eclipse her daring artistic expression while still maintaining the sanity if the world. As such, this makes Marina Abramovic a unique performer deserving of accolades across the board. She is, in fact, one of the most publicly recognizable artists in the contemporary world. Her approach to art and her use of her own body, in expression of artistic gestures is somewhat of a marvel that is distinctively rare in contemporary society. This is the rationale for its having a significant impact on art lovers. Throughout the decades, Abramovic has tested the relationship between artist and audience. In addition, she has taken her mind and body to the limits of performance and emerged unhurt. Such daring feats continue to characterize her performances across the globe. She has cut herself, dragged herself, and made her naked body the subject of abuse of a vicious crowd. All in the name of creating pieces of art. These are but an example of the experiences she goes through in her endeavor of producing pieces of art. Unlike theater performance, where almost everything is forged, studio performances are characterized by a sense of reality hinged on the fact that everything in the art and subsequent performance are real. In theater performances, the blood in performance is phony. However, in studio performance best exemplified by the works by Abramovic, are characterized by real blood. This shows the level of realism that studio performances give to the audience. In such a setting, the likes of Marina fit perfectly (Stiles, Abramovic?, Biesenbach and Iles 2008, p. 25). It is the fact that this self-expression, being of incomprehensible means, which is somewhat beyond the capabilities of the audience, which makes her performances unique (Abramovic, 1997, p. 76). The performances of this artist are distinctively characterized by feelings of both pleasure and disappointment. This is especially so when her background in brought into context. The war torn Yugoslavia where Marina Abramovic grew up is expected to shape her beliefs and thinking. However, this could not be further from the truth. Through her performances, a different Yugoslavia is depicted. It is this separation of beliefs and intrinsic qualities of her performances, which propels her fame. Yugoslavia is characterized by civil war, genocide, and extreme nationalism. However, contrary to the expectations sourced from knowledge of her native country, her works of art exude elements of innovation and experimentation. It is only via the understanding of her childhood background would the true remarkable essence of her work become known. Abramovic was born in a war torn nation, with the national army allied parents, and a somewhat underprivileged background. As such, her motivation and inspiration of her works of art are not immediately clear to the audience; the aura seems to be self-made. She created new spaces that sought to challenge the visual representation of human meaning. One of the most inspiriting and captivating performances and there are many of this fact, attributed to Abramovic is the Art is Present. This brings a new realization of the relation between the title of this performance and the thesis propagating this paper. The performance entailed the performer, in this case Marina, to sit trance like and unmoving for hours on end. The guest was welcomed to sit on the opposite chair to face the remarkable artist. Though the guests were at times flinching, they, in fact, made trivial attempts to copy the ambitions and discipline of the performer. Understandably, so, the guest had human failings as compared to the monument of disciple embodied by Abramovic. Though the viewer was physically close to the performer, in an artistic sense, the distance between them was impossible to cross. It was akin to two people being in two different dimensions while attesting to touch each other physically. This is one of the most distinctive features of art by Marina Abramovic. This is a motivation for the creation of art, which is on one hand easily comprehensible while simultaneously being unassailable or the viewer. This is because, in the absence of this, the art appears to be void of substance, which is an imperative feature of quality art. In the Art Is Present, Abramovic did not, at any time, flinch or acknowledge the presence of the public who filled her studio. The interaction between a seated guest and the performer seemed to be electrically charged. There was a longing for connection inclined in favor of the guest. However, human response to the interaction from the performer was never plausible. The unreal proximity to the performer invited a connection that was never to be realized. Abramovic appeared to be in need of intimacy but at the same time going far beyond the reach of the audience. Such is the quality of her work. The inter-dimensional approach to art brings realism rarely witnessed in art studios. Pain is a common element in her work. As such, the audience is able to relate with the performer. Rather than, rely on abstract forms of art that do not have a personal touch and effect on the audience, Marina Abramovic employs her own body as fabric. This is exemplified by her performance in 1975 entitled Freeing the Voice. Abramovic screams to the extent of passing out. The performance is characterized by mixed feelings of the crowd. In a way, the performance is painful to watch. However, it is also captivating in a way that the observer cannot divert their gaze from Abramovic. The art is described to be entwined in the scream. Somewhere in the outward expression of intensity of this pain is meaning. Some part of the observer wants the pain to end. However, at the same time, there is part of the observer that desires to see how long Abramovic can withstand the pain. All the outlined performances attributed to Marina Abramovic show that does not make art in the traditional sense. In her 1975 performance of Lips, she ate honey, drank, and subsequently carved a pentagram onto her stomach. She did this using a razor blade. In addition to this torture, she engaged in self-whipping and lay down on a cross-made from ice. Many an ignorant observes would classify such form of art as bordering as fetish club. This in essence is to me what art is about. The fact that Abramovic is capable of intertwining art, fashion, and extreme practices into play is what motivates art enthusiasts as me. She borders on the extreme to convey her message via art. One cannot predict her next performance. The fact that her performances exhibit the element of unpredictability is captivating and keeps the audiences yearning for more of her artwork. This should be the trait motivating all the works of art that endeavor to be defined as fashion (Mackrell 2005, p. 103). Fashion and art are such that this may separate the two oblivious of the real intent behind their existence (Troy 2003, p. 76). However, the works of Marina encompass both this dependent feature. In essence, the performances by Abramovic have style, glamour and a beauty that are not immediately clear to the unaware audience. As such, the audience is necessitated to look deeper in search of the meaning of this performance. This is essential, what art and fashion entails. The absence of immediate realization of meaning that necessitates deeper elucidation is the primary purpose of art and fashion (Verte?s, Holme and Davis1944, p. 54). Marina was awarded the Golden lion for best artist for her piece entitled the Balkan Baroque. The piece entailed her sitting on one thousand five hundred bloody cow bones. The picture of this art is unbecoming. This is to the oblivious observer who does not appreciate art. However, for the art enthusiast, the story behind the art is of utmost concern. The intrinsic factors that motivate the creation of such a performance are what the observer should endeavor to understand. The purpose of art is to bring the observer into another state of mind. This is usually unattainable via other means. As such, the incorporation of art into fashion is to motivate or instigate the shift of understanding of the observer into another reality (Orrell and Balshaw 2010, p. 89). This has the power of making humanity appreciate the basic of elements exiting within the society (Read 1966, p. 136). The result of this is an inner change in the observer. Marina Abramovic is clear that she is, in most cases, afraid of the performances in which she partakes (Abramovic 2007, p. 11). However, when she is in front of an audience, she gets an inner motivation that drives her action. Her dependence on nature and the audience for her work is descriptive of the universal relationship existing between humankind. This is because when she is able to perform her daring pieces, then the audience is also able to partake in the act. Thus, good art is life-changing art. In demonstrating the artistic nature of a person, it is imperative to look into the personal lives of this personality in order to assure her true artistry is genuine. When Abramovic broke up with her long time lover, Ulay, the break up was conducted in a unique and truly artistic manner. \they both walked on the Great Wall of China from both ends. At the point of their meeting, they broke up (Abramovic, Ulay, Mignot and Be?lisle1991, p. 34). This shows the extent of artistry that characterizes the life of Marina Abramovic. Such, expressions of art on a personal basis are what I aspire to exude. The artwork is an intrinsic element of society. It is synonymous with illustration of society. Society encompasses the values of political, social, spiritual, and therapeutic elements that go hand in hand in establishing the harmony and peace that characterizes a society (Chadwick 1990, p. 58). This is exactly what art provides to the society. In the absence of which, society would be devoid of any meaning and fulfillment. Inner sanctity would be unattainable. Thus, art is a multi-layered concept of society and it forms part of society. References Abramovic, M., Ulay, Mignot, D., & Be?lisle, J. (1991). The lovers: the Great Wall walk, Marina Abramovic, Ulay. Montre?al, Muse?e d'art contemporaine de Montre?al. Abramovic, M. (1997). Body: Marina Abramovic ... [et al.]. Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Bookman Schwartz. Abramovic, M. (2007). 7 easy pieces. Milan, Charta. Chadwick, W. (1990). Women, art, and society. New York, N.Y., Thames and Hudson. Mackrell, A. (2005). Art and fashion. London, Batsford. Orrell, P., & Balshaw, M. (2010). Marina Abramovic? + the future of performance art. Munich, Prestel. Read, H. (1966). Art and society. New York, Schocken Books. Stiles, K., Abramovic?, M., Biesenbach, K., & Iles, C. (2008). Marina Abramovic?. London, Phaidon. Troy, N. J. (2003). Couture culture: a study in modern art and fashion. Cambridge, Mass, MIT Press. Verte?s, M., Holme, B., & Davis, G. (1944). Art and fashion. New York, The Studio Publications inc. Read More