Join me as I explore 4D art with performance!
PROMPT:
"Create a visual presentation based on a cultural phenomenon you feel strongly about in a medium you feel best expresses your point of view."
What issues/ideas/practices do you feel most strongly about your culture? Why? And, what would be your message to others who may be unaware of such issues/ideas/practices?
What visual tools can you use to amplify that message or create change? What can visual culture do to make changes to highlight that cultural phenomenon?
Above are my responses to these questions as I thought of a concept to explore.
What is 4D Art?
4D art refers to art forms that incorporate elements of time and space. While traditional 3D art occupies three-dimensional space (length, width, and height), 4D art introduces the element of time. This allows the viewer to experience changes or movements within the artwork itself. 4D can include video, projection mapping, performance, new media art, stop motion animation, etc. For this project I chose to delve into performance art.
What is Performance Art?
Performance art, as defined by TATE, encompasses artworks created through actions performed by the artist or other participants. This can be live or recorded, spontaneous, or scripted. It's something of the moment that you can't take with you, unlike most art. This work may only be photographed, documented, or filmed.
"Performance art is often seen as what’s done when other more traditional art forms are not enough to get the artist’s point across. It can include any number of actions by the artist that will be witnessed by others, with fluidity between the real and the art being a major focal point. While performance art has varied in its style and depiction, much of it can be confrontational and shocking in order to elicit reactions from those viewing it. In many ways, performance art pushes the boundaries of art by asking so much of the artist and asking the audience to decide what counts as art, especially in a 'fine art' context." —Rafael Abreu
Its characteristics may include:
Direct input by the artist in the performance.
Using unusual tools and doing unusual things in order to perform the art piece.
Shocking and startling in practice, which elicits a more visceral reaction from those watching the performance.
Like most art, often done with a strong personal and/or political message in mind.
Research & Inspiration: Womanhouse
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Womanhouse was a feminist art installation and performance space organized by Judy Chicago and Miriam Schapiro in 1972. This project had a significant focus on women and their societal roles. It was also the first public exhibition of feminist art featuring installations and live performances. This exhibit's displays addressed and challenged the traditional roles assigned to women in households as well as subverted those expectations.
Leah’s Room was a performance art piece set in an intimate boudoir. Karen LeCoq sat at a vanity and applied various layers of makeup to her face at only 22 years old. Meanwhile, Camille Grey created an installation piece called Lipstick Bathroom. It is meant to showcase the overwhelming amount of choices women make to "achieve beauty." Both pieces capture an essence of desperation and how much women depend on their physical appearance. They demonstrate how patriarchal standards want to keep women in their place rather than genuinely appreciating their beauty. The performance and installation pieces confront the sense of worthlessness women are meant to feel if they don't adhere to these standards.
My Performance - Process
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Set-Up Materials
Camera
Makeup
Mirror
Me
Man
Theme
I was heavily inspired by Womanhouse when creating my 4D project and chose to do a recorded performance piece. The "cultural phenomenon" I focused on was societal beauty standards and the pressure imposed on women to cover up with makeup. This is a very personal theme for me. I often feel as though I'll never live up to the standards despite knowing men created them as a form of control. Beauty trends change every year and it's exhausting keeping up with them. And yet, if I don't, I fear no one will pay attention to me.
I asked my boyfriend to take part in the performance as the "male voice" pressuring women into covering their faces. It is safe to say he does not believe in this and I'm grateful for his participation!
Final Video
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Outside of the camera's view is my spread of various makeup products. The video starts off with me looking in the mirror as I apply a reasonable amount of makeup for myself. Then, as soon as I finish applying one layer of lipstick, a man's voice tells me to put on more. I look at him a bit surprised since I don't think I need more, but I do as he says. As I put on additional "normal" makeup, his voice continuously pops up and gets more demanding to keep layering. The amount he's asking for is ridiculous, yet I oblige and keep applying. As a form of defeat, I eventually stop looking in the mirror and begin looking directly at the camera while I over-apply and exaggerate the makeup until I'm unrecognizable. Tears form in my eyes because I don't know who I am anymore or why I'm even listening to someone who doesn't care about me. The aggression with the makeup application shows my frustration with this pressure, and the amount of makeup applied is mocking or critiquing how ridiculous the female standard is. My overall message is that women are hurting and masking their true selves in fear of being rejected by society.
Artist for Inspo
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Tanya Aguiñiga is a California artist and designer from Tijuana, Mexico. She often collaborates with fellow artists and activists to create sculptures, installations, performances, and community-based art projects. Growing up as a binational citizen and crossing the border daily from Tijuana to San Diego for school daily, Aguiñiga draws inspiration from her experiences. Her work reflects her divided identity and aims to shed light on the transnational community's larger and often overlooked narratives.
Her performance piece, Metabolizing the Border, started in 2018 after she collected thousands of traumatic border stories during her travels due to the escalating anti-immigration policies. Aguiñiga experimented with glass and rusted fragments from the steel fence between Tijuana and San Diego to create wearable components for her project. These pieces, including sandals modeled after tire-soled huaraches, symbolize the struggle and challenges faced by immigrants upon arrival in the U.S. By incorporating tactile elements and engaging multiple senses like sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch, Aguiñiga aimed to shed light on the emotional and psychological toll of border walls on individuals living along the area. Ultimately, Aguiñiga aimed to provide a platform for the voices and experiences of those directly impacted by border policies and amplify their narratives through her art.
Lesson Idea:
(High School - Advanced Art)
I want to use Tanya Aguiñiga as the inspiring artist for my lesson idea. Students would first learn about Aguiñiga's Metabolizing the Border performance piece. Then, they'd think about a personal memory or an active part of their culture they want others to experience as well. It does not have to be a traumatic event or hardship. Students would have to figure out a way to bring these elements into an art piece (or pieces) for others to take turns and step into. This could be in the way Aguiñiga used "performative wearables," or students may come up with their own ideas and instructions for how the audience should engage with the work. With this project, the audience becomes the performers as everyone watches their interactions and live reactions. This engaging performance piece allows for the sharing of memories and culture among students and sparks reflection on the experiences. Students could talk about how watching others' interactions, before their own, molded their experience or interpretations.
Personal Thoughts
I was a bit lost entering this final project because I was unfamiliar with 4D art and didn't know what to create. However, researching what performance art is specifically and looking at artist examples similar to my culture helped. It made me realize performance art is perfect for conveying a message about an issue you feel strongly about due to its "shock value." My boyfriend told me he was pretty stunned seeing me fully cry mid-performance and almost stopped telling me to add more makeup even though that was his role. I, too, was surprised looking back at the video and viewing how my tear-stained face wore the makeup. This perfectly demonstrates how performance art can elicit strong emotional responses in both the artist and the audience.
From a teaching standpoint, I believe 4D art is not nearly as discussed in the classroom as it should be. It's important to introduce students to as many mediums and visual tools for delivering artistic meaning and messages. Encouraging them to step out of their comfort zones may lead to pleasant surprises and newly discovered interests. It can also help them think more deeply about their artwork and how the audience will receive, interpret, or interact with it.
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