Visual Performance Art

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

The art form that we call “performance art” is diverse and difficult to define, intersecting with a variety of other disciplines such as theatre, photography, sculpture, music, film/video, and more recently, technology and new media. Unlike theatrical performances, performance art is rarely concerned with linear narrative/ structure, acting, or other physical constraints of the theater world such as “runtime”, “audience size” or “repeatability”. Instead, it often embraces provocation, subversion, temporality, as well as direct and immediate artist-audience relationships. In this course, we will explore the practice of performance/ live/ body/ time art, with a strong focus on visually-driven work. We will learn about seminal artists in this genre through readings, discussions, and viewing, but the core of the course will be creating our own work. No experience required; spirit of experimentation and open mind are strongly encouraged.