Nicole Blackman- more than just a performance artist
Okay, so I will quickly sum up my thoughts on the exhibit: Overall, I didn’t like it, and no matter how much convincing I try to do, I can’t make myself like it. The interesting thing is that I completely understand why other people like it, and I actually agree with the thoughts that each piece of performance art brought up, but for some reason, Zhang Huan’s art just didn’t work for me. Of all the pieces, I liked the sculptures of ash the most, particularly the flags and the long ears on the Buddha head (I liked how they folded over on the floor; I thought that was an interesting touch). I think that those pieces showed the most skill and the most artistic creativity. Also, the carved doors were really quite interesting, but the interest kind of dropped when I found out that he himself did not carve it. The artwork lost its personal touch when I found that out. Though there is nothing wrong with mass producing artwork like he does with a full team of workers, I am still stuck to the idea of an artist toiling away at his/her art, working tirelessly with his/her hands until perfection. It’s kind of a romantic idea of what an artist should be, but even so, it plays a role in my appreciation of the art. In total, I just don’t think that Zhang Huan hit any kind of personal note with me. He sparked my interest with a few pieces and made me curious to know more, but in the end, nothing happened. I left the exhibit feeling empty of thought and empty of emotion. Thus, Zhang Huan’s art did nothing for me, but..to each his/her own.
And now, for the main event: http://www.nicoleblackman.com/
I am fascinated by Nicole Blackman. She may just be my new idol. Poet, author, vocalist, teacher, former music publicist, AND performance artist, she can do it all! Born in New York on November 30, 1971, she is an icon of American Goth spoken word, meaning that she writes poetry and reads it aloud in such a way that it becomes a performance. If you have ever been at a poetry reading, it’s similar to that, but Nicole takes it a step further. I’ll give you an example, taken from Wikipedia: “…the disturbing “Bloodwork” at The Kitchen/NYC in 2000, where she debuted her blood performance (and shook hands with the audience, bloodying them too), slipped secret messages into the audience’s coat pockets, projected text on the street and created visual/sound installations in the venue’s bathrooms.” The best way I can describe it is to give you this image: imagine a graphic poem, with all the things that make you uncomfortable. Now take that graphic poem, and turn it into action; make it appear in front of the audience’s eyes. That’s Nicole Blackman’s art.
From reading up on her, I get the idea that Nicole uses her art to make a statement by making the audience uncomfortable. Even so, I am so intrigued by her and her poetry that I am willing to bear the discomfort. I’m so crazy about her work now that I am actually thinking about buying her book, Blood Sugar. http://images.ecampus.com/images/d/343/1888451343.jpg
Now, as for what I think is the role of the artist today… I was thinking about this in class while we were discussing Zhang Huan, and one thought has followed me throughout these past few days: an artist must say/show the audience the things everyone else is too afraid to say/show. I think that the most important trait of artwork is that it pushes people to think and question, and an artist must not only think and question, but also bring out those same questions and thoughts in the people. That was the unfortunate thing about Zhang Huan: he did not make me think hard or question deeply what he was trying to say; he just made me think, “Gosh, that’s odd,” and move on. Yet, Nicole Blackman grabbed my attention immediately, and I haven’t even seen any bit of her performance art yet. I suppose that the difference between the two is just what I relate to most; I understand poetry, I adore poetry, I practice writing poetry, but melting ice doesn’t work for me, and a naked mass of people doesn’t fascinate me. Even so, I can’t say that Zhang Huan doesn’t perform the functions, as defined by me, of an artist. Yes, he makes a statement, yes he shows people what no one else will show, just not in the right way so as to make me connect to it. Nicole Blackman does.
If I were to imagine someone creating performance art for today that I would consider important for our times, it would have to be something related to peace probably (not that that hasn’t been done already). I can actually give an example of something like what I think is important for our times: there is a film called The Girl in the Cafe that is one of the most beautifully written and made films I have ever seen. It’s about a British diplomat who is unsatisfied with his job because of the fact that much of his job is making compromises on worldly issues that he believes should not be compromised. This diplomat meets a girl in a cafe who begins to serve as the part of him that wishes to speak out about his views on these issues. And so she does, to all the important officials and government representatives from all the countries of the world, sparking immense controversy. In the end, both the girl and the British official suffer for their beliefs, but this one girl’s words do make an impact in making one country decide not to compromise with all the others. Now, why am I telling you all this? Because this film made a comment on our society and suggested a solution to one problem through a connection of two lonely souls, and in this way managed to send a message without offending anyone or putting anyone off. It was a beautiful story and an altogether tragic one, but it did the job: it made an emotional connection with the audience, it gave them an important message, and it created beauty through words, images, and music. Did that explain my view of performance art important for our times? I tried…
So in sum, I’m not crazy about Zhang Huan, I’m slowly becoming obsessed with Nicole Blackman, and I think performance art needs to give the people what no one else can give them. What that is, is up to the artist to decide.