Chris Burden, Trans-Fixed, 23 April, 1974 at Speedway Avenue in Venice, California
In our latest Art Dirt podcast, Brandon Zech and Christina Rees talk about the merits of shock value, the uselessness of labels, and the dread of getting stuck watching a bad performance.
“Being trapped at a bad performance art performance is a pretty hellacious thing.”
To play the podcast, click on the orange play button below. You can also listen to it here. You can also find Glasstire on Apple Podcasts.
Related Reading:
How to Build a Better Festival
A New Year’s Eve Performance Piece by Fluxus Artist Ken Friedman
Podcast: Julia Claire Wallace & Quinn Dukes
Not Just Naked People: Experimental Action Performance Art Festival in Houston
The Origins of Houston Performance Art: Oofty Goofty and Jim Pirtle
Xxavier Carter: Ebony Black & the Ice Cream Social
Aktion Toilet! CHRISTEENE!
Non Grata Performing in Austin
On Chris Burden, Being a Fan, Grief, and the Disappearance of Rigor
Podcast: Celebrities Doing Performance Art + Artists and Gentrification
Escaping the Narrative Trap of Video Art: David Politzer and Bradly Brown
Art In The Streets: Houston Transformed in 1986
Paper Dance: A Conversation with Janine Antoni
A Conceptual Art Stunt Leads To a Run For Amarillo’s City Council
2 comments
A young San Antonio artist whose work I have been following through documentation is Daniela Riojas http://danielariojas.com/. The current frontpage image on her website may bring to mind the overdone legacy of the last several decades of artists who flail and thrash about in a puddle of condiments, mooshed-up food, or mud and guts of who-knows-what, but her description of that piece, “Don’t Let Me Forget La Loba,” on the site gives much more indication that there is a there there. The deployment of ritual behavior in performance is another feature that commonly runs a risk of veering into silly or boring old hat-dom, but when the performer can become a vessel of style, grace, passion, fury….as Riojas seems to….that’s what you’re looking for when you don’t know you’re looking for it. And when it finds you, it’s a most welcome discovery. Some of her work reminds one of Ana Mendieta, but it’s also quite original.
Jose Villalobos in San Antonio is doing some pretty great performance work, too! It’s at the intersection of queer and Norteño culture and incorporates some really interesting sculptural objects/performance artifacts. https://www.josevillalobosart.com