The Performing Observer

Patrick Martin

Description

The Performing Observer is a collection of short, critical writings on contemporary art, performance, and photography written over the course of the past two decades. These texts were originally published in a variety of settings, including art magazines and exhibition catalogues, online journals and websites.

A wide range of global practitioners are analysed, from emerging to established artists. As the title suggests, Patrick feels that he is simultaneously performing a role while observing and writing about the field. The intention is to present a well-informed but jargon free survey of many significant developments in contemporary art and culture. Among the artists discussed are: Francis Alÿs, Laurie Anderson, Chris Burden, William Eggleston, Cindy Sherman, and Andy Warhol.

The book examines an important series of interconnected contemporary art practices. Layering writings on performance-based work, material forms and photography, it positions performance within a larger context. The artists selected are genuinely international with a strong focus on the southern hemisphere, and are grouped together in sections Patrick calls Performance, Photography, Publicness, Video, Books and Exhibitions.

It aims to make sense of a specific modality of art making with an interesting - and to a degree unspoken - interest in art writing itself. Both elements are compelling separately but especially so together.

Accessibly written and especially approachable for a range of interested readers. It offers scholarly and critical depth while retaining a writing style that will appeal beyond a strictly scholarly audience. It will appeal to readers closely involved in contemporary art theory and practice, whether students, artists, academics or simply curious to know more.

List of Figures

Acknowledgements

Original Sources of Publication

Preface: The Performing Observer



PART I: PERFORMANCE

1. Chris Burden, Iggy Pop, and the Aesthetics of Early 1970s Performance Art (2004)

2. Laurie Anderson’s Adventures in George W. Bush’s America (2005)

3. David Cross’s Confounding Hybridity (2018)

4. Richard Maloy: Try and Try Again (2010)

5. Victoria Singh: The Waiting Room (2014)

6. Interview with Artist Catherine Bagnall (2015) 

7. ‘My Life Is One Big Experiment’: A Conversation with Laurie Anderson (2020)

PART II: PHOTOGRAPHY 

8. Francis Alÿs and Photography: Snapshots from an Indefinite Vacation (2007)

9. William Eggleston on Film (2006)

10. ‘Vaguely Stealthy Creatures’: Max Kozloff on the Poetics of Street Photography (2002)

11. Vantage Points and Vanishing Spaces: Ann Shelton (2008)

12. Imagined Landscapes and Subterranean Simulacra (2011)

13. Gregory Crewdson: In a Lonely Place (2013)

14. On Taryn Simon’s 2007 series An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar (2010)

15. On the Recent Photographs of Simon Mark (2010)

16. Talking Around (and Around) Yvonne Todd (2012)

17. Cindy Sherman: Morphing Changeling (2016)



PART III: PUBLICNESS

18. Encounter (2009)

19. On False Leads, Readymades and Seascapes (2008)

20. Hope Is Not About What We Expect (2011)

21. Echoes, Signs, Disruptions (2015)

22. Billy Apple: Mercurial Consistency (2015)

23. Reorientations (2018)



PART IV: VIDEO

24. Shannon Te Ao: A torch and a light (cover) (2015) 

25. Watching Sean Grattan’s HADHAD (2015)

26. On Mike Heynes: Video Art, Animation and Activist Critique (2016)

27. Pat Badani: [in time time] (2008) 

28. Bogdan Perzyński: Selected Photographic Documents and Video Works (2011)

PART V: BOOKS 

29. Clement Greenberg: Late Writings ed. Robert C. Morgan, University of Minnesota Press, 2003

30. The Experimental Group: Ilya Kabakov, Moscow Conceptualism, Soviet Avant-Gardes, Matthew Jesse Jackson, University of Chicago Press, 2010

31. Parallel Presents: The Art of Pierre Huyghe, Amelia Barikin, MIT Press, 2012

32. Performing Contagious Bodies: Ritual Participation in Contemporary Art, Christopher Braddock, Palgrave Macmillan, 2012

33. It’s the Political Economy, Stupid: The Global Financial Crisis in Art and Theory, eds. Gregory Sholette and Oliver Ressler, Pluto Press, 2013

34. Zizz! The Life and Art of Len Lye, in His Own Words, with Roger Horrocks, Awa Press, 2015

PART VI: EXHIBITIONS 

35. Theresa Hak Kyung Cha (2003)

36. Robyn Kahukiwa (2012)

37. Sad Songs (2005) 

38. Shona Macdonald: Simmer Dim (2010) 

39. Craig Easton: Collapse (2009)

40. 18th Biennale of Sydney (2012)

41. Simon Starling: In Speculum (2014)

42. Chris Heaphy’s Kaleidoscopic Eye (2012) 

43. Niki Hastings-McFall: In Flyte (2013) 

44. Simon Morris: Black Water Colour Painting (2015) 

45. Dan Graham: Beyond (2009)

46. Richard Long: Heaven and Earth (2009)

47. Split Level View Finder: Theo Schoon and New Zealand Art (2019) 

48. Elisabeth Pointon’s Pop Problematics (or the Customer Might Just Be Wrong) (2020)

49. Warhol: Immortal (2013)

50. Is It the Beginning of a New Age? (2016)



Notes 

Bibliography

Index

Sujets

• Performing Arts
• Criticism
• Theory
• Photography
• Art

Informations

• Publié par: Intellect Books
• Date de parution: 28 octobre 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781789386752
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 99 Mo

Extrait

e Performing Observer

he Performing Observer

Essays on Contemporary Art, Performance and Photography

Martin Patrick

Bristol, UK / Chicago, USA

First published in the UK in 2023 by Intellect, The Mill, Parnall Road, Fishponds, Bristol, BS16 3JG, UK

First published in the USA in 2023 by Intellect, The University o Chicago Press, 1427 E. 60th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA

Copyright © 2023 Intellect Ltd All rights reserved. No part o this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any orm or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission.

A catalogue record or this book is available rom the British Library.

Copy editor: MPS Limited Cover designer: Aleksandra Szumlas Cover image: Catherine Bagnall,Alpine Walking with Tails and Ears, 2013. Photograph by Scott Austin. Courtesy o the artist. Frontispiece image: Georgette Brown,When The Bell’s Tongue Licks, I Work On My House: Part 2, 2019. Courtesy o the artist. Indexer: Lyn Greenwood Production manager: Sophia Munyengeterwa Typesetter: MPS Limited

Paperback ISBN 978-1-78938-674-5 ePDF ISBN 978-1-78938-675-2 ePUB ISBN 978-1-78938-676-9

Printed and bound by Short Run

To find out about all our publications, please visit our website. There you can subscribe to our e-newsletter, browse or download our current catalogue and buy any titles that are in print.

www.intellectbooks.com This is a peer-reviewed publication.

Contents

List o Figures Acknowledgements Original Sources o Publication Preace: The Perorming Observer

PART I: PERFORMANCE

1. Chris Burden, Iggy Pop, and the Aesthetics o Early 1970s Perormance Art (2004) 2. Laurie Anderson’s Adventures in George W. Bush’s America (2005) 3. David Cross’s Conounding Hybridity (2018) 4. Richard Maloy: Try and Try Again (2010) 5. Victoria Singh:The Waiting Room(2014) 6. Interview with Artist Catherine Bagnall (2015) 7. ‘My Lie Is One Big Experiment’: A Conversation with Laurie Anderson (2020)

PART II: PHOTOGRAPHY

8. Francis Alÿs and Photography: Snapshots rom an Indefinite Vacation (2007) 9. William Eggleston on Film (2006) 10. ‘Vaguely Stealthy Creatures’: Max Kozlof on the Poetics o Street Photography (2002) 11. Vantage Points and Vanishing Spaces: Ann Shelton (2008) 12. Imagined Landscapes and Subterranean Simulacra (2011)

v

ix xiii xvii xix

1

3

10 16 23 30 33 44

51

53

61 67

75 81

THE PERFORMING OBSERVER

13. Gregory Crewdson:In a Lonely Place(2013) 14. On Taryn Simon’s 2007 seriesAn American Index o the Hidden and Unamiliar(2010) 15. On the Recent Photographs o Simon Mark (2010) 16. Talking Around (and Around) Yvonne Todd (2012) 17. Cindy Sherman: Morphing Changeling (2016)

PART III: PUBLICNESS

18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23.

Encounter (2009) On False Leads, Readymades and Seascapes (2008) Hope Is Not About What We Expect (2011) Echoes, Signs, Disruptions (2015) Billy Apple: Mercurial Consistency (2015) Reorientations (2018)

PART IV: VIDEO

24. Shannon Te Ao:A torch and a light (cover)(2015) 25. Watching Sean Grattan’sHADHAD(2015) 26. On Mike Heynes: Video Art, Animation and Activist Critique (2016) 27. Pat Badani:[in time time](2008) 28. Bogdan Perzyński:Selected Photographic Documents and Video Works(2011)

PART V: BOOKS

29.Clement Greenberg: Late Writingsed. Robert C. Morgan, University o Minnesota Press, 2003 30.The Experimental Group: Ilya Kabakov, Moscow Conceptualism, Soviet Avant-Gardes, Matthew Jesse Jackson, University o Chicago Press, 2010 31.Parallel Presents: The Art o Pierre Huyghe, Amelia Barikin, MIT Press, 2012

vi

86 89

94 97 1 03

109

111 117 122 129 133 141

143

145 150 155

160 166

171

173

176

180

CONTENTS

32.Perorming Contagious Bodies: Ritual Participation in Contemporary Art, Christopher Braddock, Palgrave Macmillan, 2012 33.It’s the Political Economy, Stupid: The Global Financial Crisis in Art and Theory, eds. Gregory Sholette and Oliver Ressler, Pluto Press, 2013 34.Zizz! The Lie and Art o Len Lye, in His Own Words, with Roger Horrocks, Awa Press, 2015

PART VI: EXHIBITIONS

35. Theresa Hak Kyung Cha (2003) 36. Robyn Kahukiwa (2012) 37.Sad Songs(2005) 38. Shona Macdonald:Simmer Dim(2010) 39. Craig Easton:Collapse(2009) 40. 18th Biennale o Sydney (2012) 41. Simon Starling:In Speculum(2014) 42. Chris Heaphy’s Kaleidoscopic Eye (2012) 43. Niki Hastings-McFall:In Flyte(2013) 44. Simon Morris:Black Water Colour Painting(2015) 45. Dan Graham:Beyond(2009) 46. Richard Long:Heaven and Earth(2009) 47.Split Level View Finder: Theo Schoon and New Zealand Art(2019) 48. Elisabeth Pointon’s Pop Problematics (or the Customer Might Just Be Wrong) (2020) 49.Warhol: Immortal(2013) 50.Is It the Beginning o a New Age?(2016)

Notes Bibliography Index

vii

184

188

191

195

197 200 203 212 216 221 224 227 233 236 240 242 245 249

252 255

263 275 285

Figures

1.1 Chris Burden,Through the Night Sotly, 1973, video. © 2021 Chris Burden/licensed by The Chris Burden Estate and Artists Rights Society (ARS)/Copyright Agency. Photograph by Charles Hill. Courtesy o Gagosian. 1.2 Leni Sinclair,Iggy Pop at the Grande Ballroom in Detroit, 1968, photograph.©2021LeniSinclair.Courtesyotheartist. 2.1 Laurie Anderson,New Music America, 1979, perormance, The Kitchen, New York, NY. Photograph by Anzi. Courtesy o the artist. 3.1 David Cross,Hold, 2010, perormance space, Sydney, as part o Liveworks curated by Bec Dean. Photograph credit to Alex Davies. Courtesy o the artist. 4.1 Richard Maloy,Raw Attempts, Artspace, Auckland, 2009–10. Courtesy o the artist. 4.2 Richard Maloy,Tree Hut, Sue Crockord Gallery, 2004. Courtesy o the artist. 5.1 Victoria Singh,The Waiting Room, 2014, Wellington, New Zealand. Courtesy o the artist. 6.1 Catherine Bagnall,Alpine Walking with Tails and Ears, 2013. Photograph by Scott Austin. Courtesy o the artist. 6.2 Catherine Bagnall,Alpine Walking with Tails and Ears, 2013. Photograph by Scott Austin. Courtesy o the artist. 7.1 Laurie Anderson,Songs and Stories rom Moby Dick, 1999, BAM, Brooklyn, NY – perorming ‘One White Whale’. Photograph by Frank Micelota. Courtesy o the artist. 8.1 Francis Alÿs,Paradox o Praxis 1 (Sometimes doing something leads to nothing), 1997, Mexico City, photographic and video documentation o an action (five minutes). Photograph by Enrique Huerta. Courtesy o the artist.

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7

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24

27

32

36

38

47

55