I was going to complete further research on Hermann Nitsch however I felt he was perhaps too controversial and some may have had issues with the blood and rituals. Therefore I thought about a work by Carolee Schneemann, I went to the exhibition at the Barbican that is discussed in the film below.
As with all performance art it is difficult to discuss as the live performance is now over and we just have the films of these performances, so the visceral quality, the response will be different when viewing on a screen.
Schneemann was feminist and worked as the film stated for 50 years exploring body politics, women's rights and sexual desire. One of her pieces was a record of sexual parameters from the viewpoint of a woman and this recorded - this record or survey as Schneemann wrote; 'This survey does not meet strict scientific standards, it is subjective and impressionistic information presents a range of sexual experience to establish a basis for exemplary erotic expression' (Schneemann, 2003) This is a free expression by women of their sexual experience and response to it, this work was made in 1971 where women still did not have equality and certainly not sexual equality. A woman's body is still today objectified however the strides made by feminism are being reversed as although now women talk very openly about women's issues and their bodies, the rise of technology once again, has made their bodies into a battleground as the selfie and perfect image of themselves has become, for some, an obsession to now quiet unattainable standards. Also, social media and campaigns like the #metoo campaign has turned many younger men off feminism, Ethic magazine online states; 'Many social scientists agree that an increasing number of young men are mired in discomfort, in a crisis that challenges their identity, self-esteem and the value of their interpersonal relationships.' (Perez, 2024) Some now believe that women's rights has gone too far and that now men are becoming victims or being actively discriminated against. All of this is a serious concern as in fact women are still losing rights and the reversal of Roe vs Wade (1973) was a great victory for women and rights over their bodies this has now been reversed.
What Schneemann fought for her whole life was for women to have rights over their bodies and as she stated when asked 'Do you feel women are under siege?' she answered 'Constantly endlessly. Our 'siege' is privileged: we are under siege but able to observe, comment, criticize.' (Schneemann, 2003:202) this means as Western women, now there are many places where women do not have this privilege.
I realise I have not spoken of individual works in detail, as I said this is quite difficult to do as it is complex and I don't think I would fully do Schneemann justice here, I do think speaking of her overriding message in her works is the most important. I will discuss Eye Body: 36 Transformative Actions for Camera, 1963. This was like a living painting, I like this work as embodies performance, painting and photography and the materiality of these images interest me. Schneemann stated she wanted to work with her own body and 'I wanted my actual body to be combined with the work as an integral material - a further dimension of construction' (Schneemann, 2003:55).
Schneemann created this work 'as if in a trance' she wanted to experience; 'the flesh as material I chose to work with' (Schneemann, 2003:55). She stated that the only other artist who was making body art like this at this time that she knew was Yoko Ono. This work was to take back control of her body, her work. She did not want to be like a man but as she states that she wrote; 'my creative female will' (Schneemann, 2003:55) needed expression and these are transformative actions that she wanted to create to show her female will, her force, her work.
Through Schneemann's work, I still feel the force of her creative will and it always inspires me to remember that inside me I have my creative will and it should be bold and forceful and whenever voices tell you that it goes too far perhaps it hasn't gone far enough, art, now more than ever, needs to be forceful and to respond and reflect the times we find ourselves in.
References
Barbican Centre (2024). Carolee Schneemann: An Introduction. [online] Youtu.be. Available at: https://youtu.be/DZKYHeJYD7I?si=VqBF6GqY3R-hbQTJ [Accessed 23 Feb. 2025].
Carolee Schneemann Foundation (n.d.). Carolee Schneemann Foundation. [online] www.schneemannfoundation.org. Available at: https://www.schneemannfoundation.org/ [Accessed 23 Feb. 2025].
Schneemann, C. (2003). Imaging Her Erotics : essays, interviews, Projects. First ed. Cambridge, Mass.: The Mit Press.
Perez, L. (2024). Why Antifeminism Is Spreading Among Gen Z - Ethic. [online] Ethic. Available at: https://ethic.es/english/why-antifeminism-is-spreading-among-gen-z/ [Accessed 23 Feb. 2025].
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