Karen Finley is a Performance Artist from America.
At first glance of her work I felt very intimidated but also very interested. She talks about very controversial topics such as rape, the power of the female body, abuse, sexuality and feminism. Finley takes the subject she is performing very seriously and seems very passionate and honest about the material she performs. This is a woman who talks about the taboo subjects, ones that are especially uncomfortable to the world. Finley’s performances of the darker sides of intimacy and sexuality “…have brought international audience face to face with difficult issues…” (Spicuzza, 2001).
The video above is a sample of one of her performance styles. She has a rant like approach to the monologue but the different tempos of her speech is engaging and puts emphasis on words and moments. It is fast paced and blunt, just like the topics she tackles.
Her performance ‘Shut up and Love me’ (2004), is a performance that I am familiar with. In it, she covers her naked body in honey and discuss’ female sexuality and the need or desire for connection within intimacy. This performance was a “comedic piece that portrays women as more than mere victims” (Spicuzza, 2001) presenting a female character who wasn’t a victim. she said in an interview for the Metro, “The performance is about sex, and about the need to connect, the need for intimacy.” (IBID)
Ben Brantley, a theatre reviewer for the New York Times, said the performance was a “self-conscious mix of confrontation and confession” (Brantley, 2001) making, her art relatable (if unconventionally done). I love the idea that a performance can confront a topic but also be so emotionally able to be a confession at the same time.
To read about more of her work click here. I highly recommend it as all her art is interesting and in some respects ‘educational’ for lack of a better word.
Works Cited
All Photos: Available at: http://karenfinley.com/photos.php [Accessed 13 February 2016]
Spicuzza, M. (2001) Honey Bare. Metro [Online] 8 March. Available at: http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/03.08.01/finley-0110.html [Accessed 13 February 2016]
Brantley, B. (2001) THEATER REVIEW; A Taste Of Honey (Hold the Chocolate). The New York Times [online] 22 May. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/22/theater/theater-review-a-taste-of-honey-hold-the-chocolate.html [Accessed 13 February 2016]
Videowave Music Videos. (2014) Available at: https://youtube.com/watch?v=yCan4sGIOfE [Accessed 13 February 2016]