Reading Response 3

Lilly Stene
Life Drawing

Reading Response 3

This article addressed themes of how there is an issue regarding an unethical viewing of the traumatized body in the theory and displaying of performance art. It addresses how it is important for a viewer of performance art to have a self-perspective of them being part of the performance by simply being the viewer of the trauma, while not just trying to relate to the trauma in some way. The article also addresses how “spectatorship of traumatized bodies is” problematic in the sense that it creates potential to cause “objectifying and voyeuristic ways” of viewing someone else’s suffering. Lindsey French and Janet Jacobs mention how there is risks involved when using naked bodies in performance art. An example of this is how images of semi-naked and starving women may have others read the visual text in a sexualized way. Karen Goertz, a concentration camp survivor, notes how pornography exists of concentration camps, and that one having power over another person “arouses feelings of pleasure”. I think that this article was important to our next project in class, where we are instructed to illustrate performance art. I had never thought of performance art being sexualized, but after reading this journal I realized that it unfortunately can, and will keep that in mind when creating my piece for class. It is extremely unfortunate and sickening that some people sexualize art that is not meant to be sexualized, but I still think it is important for artists to create pieces regardless of the risks from a small population of people that could possibly misinterpret their work and use it for pleasure.