Performing Body

Charlotte Holper
Performance Body Project
November 4, 2018
The Artist is Present
Marina Abramovic, a Serbian performance artist, was born on November 30, 1946. A daughter of two Yugoslav Partisans, Abramovic grew up in a very strict, uniform household. She was disciplined immensely by her parents, especially her mother, and was deeply affected by this. Abramovic explores the relationship between the artist and viewer in her work. Through her performance, she became a pioneer in engaging the viewer within her art. Beginning performance art in her 20s, Abramovic pushes herself to create experiences that strain her physical and emotional state. One of her performances, titled The Artist is Present, explores the experience between the viewer and artist. For three months, 736 hours and 30 minutes, Abramovic sat in her Retrospective in the Museum of Modern Art, surrounded by other performers re-performing her work. Her performance consisted of sitting in a chair, while observers could sit opposite of her for as long as they desired. She created a space in which viewers could freely gaze at her while individuals could come up and experience her performance one at a time. Documenting the whole performance, people had many different reactions to her silent, static behavior. Some began to weep as others would sit there for over an hour.  Her art became a personal experience of being able to spend time with the mastermind. Inspired by this performance, many artists traveled from far and wide to see her work and reacted in many different ways to her.
The Retrospective took many months to plan. During the performance, she planned to place a box in her chair to relieve herself when she needed to pee.  Abramovic also sat from the museum's opening to closing, 9-5, ending her performance every day by kneeling down and curling up into a ball. The strain of her body was noticed during her piece because of the knowledge that the goal was to sit there for three months. The curator of the show, Klaus Biesenbach, even had worries about her physical health and well-being. With the discipline of her parents, Abramovic carries that with her through her art. In a documentary about her art, Abramovic tells an anecdote about her mother waking her up in the middle of the night to fix her bed only because she was "sleeping messy". She plans her art in a way that exceeds her limits. She sat strong as her body felt the limitations. As her curator told her to stop, she was adamant about finishing what she started. The idea that Abramovic carries out her performances to the end gives inspiration to other developing artists. The performance became an introspective experience for the artist, but also her viewers. As people sat and gazed into her eyes, some silent and some verbal, many individuals projected their own lives and experiences onto the artist. She gave everyone time and attention, no more, no less.
The drawing that is inspired from The Artist is Present describes the experience of both, the artist and the viewer. Creating an intense environment, I portray Marina Abramovic sitting in a chair in the foreground while viewers are blurred in the background. Abramovic's body is completely still and static as the viewers are difficult to depict. The experience of her performance created a sensation of viewing Abramovic in person. The masses came to spectate and watch her from 9-5. Many people would fight to be first in line, while others would mirror her behavior, becoming calm and silent. The drawing portrays the stillness of the artist, while also depicting the great movement of MoMa visitors.