I have always had a hard time understanding most performance art, and most of it is in how it is portrayed, let me explain this. Some piece leaves me wondering why do these pieces have to turn the art into so something vulgar and sexual rather than go about the idea without doing this. I have to issue with the human body and the beauty that is found within the human form, yet it seems so many love beating the viewers over the head with such imagery. Carolee Scheneemann’s Interior Scroll is one such piece that leaves me wondering this, Marian Abramovic/ Ulay’s piece Relation in Space, Annie Sprinkle’s The Public Cervix Announcement, and Valie Export’s piece where she has a cardboard box shirt. Valie Export’s idea of making everything sexual because she is viewed as a sex object to me seems to send the wrong idea; I guess this is why I do not understand most performance pieces.
Acconci’s work does seem to ride the line of violating an individual’s personal feelings of space and peace. I would find it disconcerting if someone was following me and more than likely would find a public place to confront them or call the police, letting them know he was stalking me. I believe some art is made to make others feel uncomfortable yet there is a line that one should not cross, that line is when you being to inflict harm on others by doing so. For some, this would be the case with his stalking, and this act might get him killed.
I believe that it does not change the performance piece if it is documented for others to enjoy/see if they are not there. I am not sure how licking jam off of a car can change if viewed in person versus on a screen; one can always create the environment at the time for the viewers. As for pieces such as Valie Export’s one can create a box with a chest mold for them to fondle.