Thursday, January 8, 2015

What Is Performance Art?

            Performance Art is a style of expression that comprises of one or more individuals undergoing an action at a certain time, certain place, and for a certain audience. Performance Art, essentially, is a live performance of an action. It can be scripted or unscripted, random or planned, and include or omit audience participation. As many times as one has seen the same show, same actors, and same environment, no two performances will ever be the same. This is because of the changes in body, space, time, and relationship between the actors and the audience.
            To further explain these four key concepts to Performance Art, I have three examples. Let us consider the differences between a poetry reading, a music concert, and a movie.

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            Poetry reading involves one person (body) standing near a single microphone (space) reading from, reciting, or improvising a piece of poetry written by said person or retrieved from elsewhere (time) and does not interact with the audience (relationship).

Retrieved from: www.yourmusiczone.com
            A music concert involves one or many individuals (body) on a sound stage (space) playing prearranged or requested songs (time) and is very actively engaged with their audience by asking how their night is going or telling brief stories before performing (relationship).

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            A movie involves a vast array of actors and filmmakers to bring the film to life (body). Within the movie could take place in any location, while the screening of the movie itself takes place in a theater or home player (space) at specified playing times or whenever one wishes (time) and has very brief distant interactions with the audience when the movie stills to invoke laughter or terror (relationship).

By: Bretten James

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