Julieduffy’s Weblog

Sitting/swaying event for rock suspension

In the centre of the hanging rocks Stelarc himself hangs, can see where the hooks are dug into him stretching his skin! Definetly a case of mind over matter to be able to carry out something which must be extremely painful. Something of an endurance test.

He is probably best known for his development in the movement of mail art but it is beleived that his death had been another and his last performance. On January 13th 1995 Ray Johnstons body was found drowned in the Sag Harbour Cove, Long Island. The reason for his death being considered to in fact be a performance was that when the police went to his appartment all of work had been turned to face the wall except from two pictures of himself, and left on the table in the centre of the room was the word Redrum written on it.

At our art and theory lesson there was a lot of talk about performance art. Ive never done any kind of performace before but I really enjoyed this lecture, a lot of it I guess did have a kind of shock factor to it but I couldnt help but find it really interesting the way some people were able to completly put themselves out there something I dont quite think I have the guts to do yet. But heres some of the artist that caught my eye.