how to explain pictures to a dead hare

the year is 1965, and a random man by the name of joseph beuys decides he'd like to broaden the definition of art just a bit. he'd been attempting to do so all throughout the fifties and decided to leap right into the performance art world in the sixties. it's his very first exhibition but you have no idea what a mark it will make within the art world. the exhibition, entitled how to explain pictures to a dead hare, ends up being a key piece within performance art. he enters with his head covered in honey and gold leaf with a dead hare within his hands. he speaks to the creature for three hours with the door locked, not allowing you to enter the room. he lets you in while he sits on a stool staring back at you. judging by the wonderful color of the picture above, this is obviously a reenactment. here are some beautiful pictures from the original event.

marina abramovic

though many people think of performance art as pointless violence and nudity created purely for shock value, i've come to disagree after quite a bit of research. but right now, here's marina abramovic, a woman who's really the most influential performance artist there is today. her most recent performance would have been the artist is present, and exhibition where visitor could sit directly across from her, silently, and communicate completely  by seeing into each others souls. and surprisingly, staring at the artist was a somewhat both traumatic and spiritual experience, causing most people who stared at her for long to cry. but long before that, abramovic performed the rhythm 5, where she cut her hair and nails before walking around and finally lying down within the star. she lost a battle for oxygen to the flames and quickly lost consciousness, but it still has to be one of the most interesting performances within the art.

and here's a photo of abramovic performing a collaboration with the artist ulay. the two of them spent an entire 16 hours back to back, tied by their hair, without moving.