I Am Sorry- This Is Not Art- Funny Or is it? You decide!
The contemporary art world often blurs the line between creativity, provocation, insanity and outright audacity.
Some of the so-called artworks have left me bewildered! I am all for challenging societal norms. But sometimes, just sometimes, I think this is too much!
MARINA!
1974 Marina Abramović shocked the art world with her performance piece “Rhythm 0.” This controversial exhibition allowed attendees to interact with her in extreme ways, using scissors, a loaded gun, and whips on her body. The gallery’s decision to permit such acts raised questions about the boundaries of art and the limits of human endurance.
![Lady long hair. No top on. Only top sections of her shoulders and hair seen Lady long hair. No top on. Only top sections of her shoulders and hair seen](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe5f637ef-4959-47b1-a508-6908c3b38eb8_800x534.jpeg)
Fast forward to 2023, and Abramović continues to push boundaries, this time with an exhibition featuring 40 nude performers. Some of the performances involve confronting visitors with the intimacy of the human body, challenging their comfort zones and notions of art.
One performance involves a naked man and woman standing facing each other, blocking the path of visitors who are forced to navigate between them.
Another sees a naked model lying prone on an altar with a skeleton resting on their bare flesh, with ticket-holders invited to gawp.
TRACEY
In 1999, Tracey Emin’s “My Bed” caused a stir when it was exhibited at the Tate Gallery.
When Tracey Emin aired her dirty laundry in the 1999 Turner Prize exhibition at Tate Britain, she set a new standard for confessional art. She conceived of the installation, titled My Bed (1998), after a long, bedridden bender following a bad breakup.
Crumpled tissues, period-stained clothing, cigarettes, empty vodka bottles, pregnancy tests, lubricants, and condoms surrounded her bed. She decided it was a work of art.
![Messy bedroom. Lady sitting on the bed. Red covers. Toys on the bed. Large photo at the head of the bed. Messy bedroom. Lady sitting on the bed. Red covers. Toys on the bed. Large photo at the head of the bed.](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb930f2b5-8e6b-4ab2-b7d5-8ded03bd8ecc_800x533.jpeg)
Apparently, the dishevelled bed symbolised contemporary art’s ability to provoke and question conventions.
It even fetched a significant price at auction. It was sold at auction by Christie’s in July 2014 for £2,546,500.
CHRIS
Chris Ofili’s use of elephant dung in his artwork “Holy Virgin Mary” in 1999 similarly sparked controversy and legal disputes. This unconventional medium challenged perceptions and symbolised art’s ability to provoke dialogue.
![Dung on the sand with insects on it. Dung on the sand with insects on it.](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc5b9f38d-80cd-4130-8481-d2cfc0a1d31d_800x533.jpeg)
The painting depicted Mary as a black woman with an exposed breast made from elephant dung and surrounded by cutouts of female genitalia from pornographic magazines, which looked from afar like small butterflies.
Amid these unconventional art forms, there’s an underlying question about the purpose and impact of such works.
Is it art meant to provoke thought and discussion, or is it simply a spectacle created for publicity and financial gain? These narratives often flirt between genuine artistic expression and sensationalism.
Gustav
A cleaner disposed of part of Gustav Metzger’s art at a London gallery highlights the fragility and impermanence of art, reflecting his concept of the “finite existence” of art.
The collection of beer bottles, coffee cups and overflowing ashtrays was said to represent the chaos of an artist’s studio.
This display was literally of rubbish. I’d like to know if he got compensated for the bag of rubbish disposed of.
My Exhibition: Sophia — SOCKS!
I cordially invite you to my exhibition in London — where I will exhibit:
Name: My Holey, Worn Out Socks!
Welcome to “My Holey Socks”, an exhibition that weaves together the narrative of my socks — from their humble beginnings as pristine garments to their transformation into relics of hard work and perseverance.
This exhibition visually explores the toil that defined my life as a retail assistant and how it left its indelible mark on my once-pristine socks and feet.
Intriguingly, these worn-out socks are juxtaposed against the contrasting reality of my current existence, which no longer requires me to don socks as I now work comfortably from home in a warm and inviting setting.
Through this exhibition, I invite you to ponder the significance of these seemingly ordinary objects and the stories they silently convey about the evolving nature of work and life!
Only $30. It will be hosted in my garden! Snacks included.
But seriously…
I can’t help but raise valid concerns about the commodification of art and the need to rationalize extreme narratives as contextualized expressions.
Ultimately, contemporary art challenges us to confront preconceived notions and discuss what constitutes art and mere spectacle.
As an artist of sock construction, I ask you, dear readers, to decide whether it’s art, insanity, or perhaps a bit of both.