Tag: performance art

Gina Pane, Psyché [Psyche], 1974

“The word psyche has two meanings; firstly, the human soul, and secondly, from Greek mythology, the name of the ravishingly beautiful daughter of the King of Crete, who is always portrayed with butterfly wings and is worshipped by Eros. A psyché is a cheval glass; a full-length swivelling mirror.

In the tape Psyche (in some texts it is referred to as Psyché), Pane is inspecting herself in a large mirror (a psyché?), and is using make-up to draw an image of her face on that mirror. With a razor blade, she cuts herself just below her eyebrows. Then she goes and stands against a grid, holding a bunch of downy feathers in her hands. With the razor blade, she cuts a cross in the skin around her navel. Between these acts of self-mutilation, she plays with tenni balls, licks her breasts and caresses her body with the feathers. However, these moments never last long. Ritual torture always plays the lead in this ceremony of cleansing. In Psyche, the artist proves herself to be as vulnerable as the mythological King’s daughter with her butterfly wings.”

—LIMA

Peggy Phalan and Adrian Heathfield from “Blood Math”

Gina Pane, Action mélancolique 2x2x2, 1974

color photographs and drawings in black and white paper on a white paper.
Wooden frame.

Photographs 1 and 2: Handwritten text in black pencil: “Plate 1 Original Document” , signed (initials) GP in the lower margin.
Photograph 3: Handwritten text in black pencil:“Plate 3 Original document Azione Melanconica 2 x 2 x 2, 74” , with full signature in the lower margin.

The 2 drawings, mounted on the same card panel, are titled and signed in black ink, “Gina Pane for Melancholic Action, 1975” in the lower right corner of the second one.
Drawing 1: “Io / Tu”
Drawing 2: “Vincent’s Melancholy (…) the serenity of Odysseus, the metamorphosis of Kafka”.

Source: artsy.net

Michel JOURNIAC: Le Vierge Mère. 1982-83.

Photos of the action. Relics.
Complete set of 11 unique gelatin silver prints in colors on paper of the action “Le Vierge Mère” (“The Virgin Mother”) created in 192 at the Musee d’Art Moderne, Paris. Coming with a white heavy wove paper leaf with a handwritten presentation text in black felt pen by Journiac.
Loose, inside a red cloth folder.Each photo: 24×17.7 cm (except 2: 24×16.5), mounted on a heavy white paper leaf: 32×24 cm.
Folder: 32×25 cm.

Carolee Schneeman – Meat Joy, 1964. This piece revolved around eight partially nude figures dancing and playing with various objects and substances including wet paint, sausage, raw fish, scraps of paper, and raw chickens. It was first performed in Paris and was later filmed and photographed as performed by her Kinetic Theater group at Judson Memorial Church. Meat Joy is similar to the art form happenings in that they both use improvisation and focused on conception, rather than execution.