Tracey Warr

Body art, performance, "Aktionism", Happenings: these are all names for the many late 20th century art forms that have used the artist's own body as the subject and object of the artwork itself. Whether acting out the gestures of painting (Jackson Pollock, Yves Klein, the Gutai group), voguing for the camera (Hannah Wilke, Mariko Mori), subjecting oneself to acts of violence (Chris Burden, Gunter Brus, Gina Pane), displaying acts of athletic prowess and courage (Matthew Barney, Marina Abramovic), or even masturbating under the gallery floor (Vito Acconci), artists since the late 1950s have increasingly used their bodies to subvert, shock and politicise contemporary art. Images of these often extreme, highly unconventional artwork with commentary are accompanied by documents which chart the ideas, their critical reception and the broader philosophical and cultural context which framed them. The introductory survey, by noted expert Amelia Jones, examines chronologically the key artists and works within the social history of their times.