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[WARNING: Some images may be disturbing and NSFW] While tattoos and piercings are commonly associated with body art, it also includes performance art that uses the human body as a canvas. This collection highlights ten extraordinary and unconventional modern artworks that push the boundaries of body exploitation. Be advised—some visuals are graphic!
10. Portrait of the Artist as a Fountain - Bruce Nauman
Nauman, who studied at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and the University of California, Davis, emerged as a key figure in California's art scene during the late 1960s. His piece, Self Portrait as a Fountain, depicts him spewing water from his mouth. Through this work, Nauman challenged the notion of art as a consistent medium of expression and explored the artist's role as a profound communicator.
9. Hand Catching Lead - Richard Serra
Serra's debut film captures a solitary shot of a hand repeatedly trying to grasp falling chunks of material. In Boomerang (1974), he recorded Nancy Holt speaking, with her words played back to her after an electronic delay. Serra has also produced several films exploring the creation and application of steel, his preferred medium.
8. Velocity Piece - Barry LeVa
Performed at the University Museum in Columbus, Ohio, in 1969 and later in La Jolla in 1970, LeVa ran repeatedly between walls fifty feet apart until exhaustion overcame him. The sounds of his collisions were recorded, allowing viewers to hear the crashes afterward and observe the bloodstains left on the walls. One reviewer noted, 'LeVa had transformed into a spectral figure, a body haunting space.' No visuals or videos of this performance exist, so the clip above showcases some of LeVa's other works.
7. Levitation - Terry Fox
On September 17, 1970, Terry Fox performed this piece at the Richmond Art Center in California. The setup included a white paper-covered floor and an eleven-foot-square mound of earth at the room's center. Plastic tubes, each fifty feet long and filled with blood, urine, water, and milk, were inserted into the mound. Fox lay on the earth for six hours, attempting to levitate above it. He reflected, 'I was trying to think about leaving the ground, until I realized I should be thinking about entering the air. That shift made everything work.' Afterward, he felt as though he had momentarily left his body. No image of this performance is available, so the work above represents another of Terry Fox's creations.
6. Seedbed - Vito Acconci
Originally showcased by Vito Acconci from January 15 to 29, 1972, at the Sonnabend Gallery in New York, this performance featured Acconci concealed beneath a gallery-installed ramp, engaging in masturbation. His vocalized fantasies about the gallery visitors walking overhead were broadcasted via loudspeakers throughout the space.
5. 3 Aktion Vienna 1965 Rudolf Schwarzkogler
This performance, captured by a photographer, led to widespread misconceptions when images suggested the artist was severing his own penis. Chris Burden, another body artist, erroneously reported in a 1970s Newsweek Magazine that the artist died from self-inflicted injuries during this act. The photographs, however, depicted Hans Cibulka, Schwarzkogler's model and friend, with a fish sliced open over his groin, which fueled the false narrative. Schwarzkogler's actual death occurred on June 20, 1969, after a fall from a window, with no evidence suggesting anything other than an accidental demise, despite rumors of suicide and various other unfounded theories.
4. Shoot Chris Burden
One of Burden's most iconic performances took place on November 19, 1971, at the F Space gallery in Santa Ana, California. During this pre-arranged event, Burden entered the empty gallery as his friend stood approximately 15 feet away, aimed a loaded .22 rifle, and fired, striking Burden in his left arm. The intention was for the bullet to graze him, but a sudden flinch resulted in a more severe injury than planned, witnessed by the gathered audience.
3. Rhythm O’ Marina Abra
In 1974, this performance involved Abramovic presenting herself to the audience with 72 objects, ranging from tools of pain to pleasure, such as knives, feathers, and a loaded pistol. Over six hours, participants cut her skin, pressed thorns into her abdomen, applied lipstick, and stripped her clothing. The performance concluded abruptly when an audience member aimed the gun at her head, leading to a physical altercation.
2. Trans-Fixed Chris Burden
Burden's profound impact on body art is evident in another of his notable works, Trans-Fixed. This 1974 performance unfolded on Speedway Avenue in Venice, California. Burden positioned himself face-up on a Volkswagen Beetle, with nails driven into his hands, evoking the imagery of crucifixion on the vehicle. The car was then rolled out of a garage, its engine roared for two minutes, and subsequently, it was returned to the garage.
1. Martyrs and Saints Ron Athey
During this 1993 performance, Athey, suspended nude from a column, had long needles inserted into his head to symbolize a crown of thorns. His artistic goal was to seek redemption through acts of self-mutilation. The image provided is the most suitable representation available.
