Body fluids in art
|
|
A relatively new trend in contemporary art is to use body fluids in art. Examples include:
- The controversial Piss Christ (1987), by Andres Serrano, which is a photograph of a crucifix submerged in urine;
- Self (1991, recast 1996) by Marc Quinn, a frozen cast of the artist's head made entirely of his own blood;
- Piss Flowers, by Helen Chadwick (1991-92), are twelve white-enamelled bronzes cast from cavities made by urinating in snow;
- many paintings by Chris Ofili, which make use of elephant dung (from 1992).
- Gilbert and George's The Naked Shit Pictures (1995)
- Hermann Nitsch and Das Orgien Mysterien Theatre use urine, feces, blood and more in their ritual performances.
Criticism
Many conservatives have criticised this development in art as being immoral and depraved. They argue that it is not worthy of being called "art" and has no aesthetic value. They argue it is designed to oppose traditional morals and values, and has links to sadomasochistic sexual activities which they deem perverse. They also find the combination of bodily fluids with religious symbols (such as in Piss Christ) to be blasphemous.