For the convenience of the reader all dates are in reverse so that the blog reads from start to finish. All actual dates are written within each post.

Stelarc

After being allocated Stelarc as a solo performer I started research. What was immediately interesting were the images that came up when entering his name into the search engine.

Figure 1: Ear On Arm. Photographer: N. Sellars

The above image is a surgically constructed ear grown from cells and placed under the skin on Stelarcs arm. Eventually anyone from around the world will be able to listen through this ear once it is connected to the internet via bluetooth. Alongside disfiguring the human body, Stelarc has also done multiple ‘suspensions’ which involve piercing his skin with metal hooks and hanging in the air. Over 25 of these suspension events have taken place since the 70’s. In 2012 Stelarc did a 15 minute long spinning suspension above an Ear On Arm sculpture. This video can be seen below.

Figure 2: Ear On Arm Suspension. Photographer: C. Oyarce

Stelarc claims that he extends his body through performance, he refers to the body as an object for physical and technical experiment. Stelarc also believes that the body is ‘obsolete’ meaning it is in no longer in use. Perhaps this means that whilst we may take our bodies for granted on a day to day basis Stelarc likes to challenge this and put it to use, which he believes we have stopped doing. Interestingly Stelarc does not seen himself as the ‘art work’ and states that he only uses his body as it would be difficult to convince somebody else to use their body for such experiments and performances. The question that I think is open for interpretation is whether Stelarc’s end products are performances or experiments  or perhaps both? Stelarc has referred to his suspension performances as being structured but not scripted, much like an experiment. In many of his videos he also refers to his work as experiments. Perhaps an experiment can also be a performance. I think this question can only be answered using peoples personal opinions.

Posted – Jan 25th 2013

Figure 1:

Oyarce, C (2012) Ear On Arm Suspension, Melbourne, Australia.
Accessed January 2013 online at: http://www.theverge.com/2012/9/14/3261078/meat-metal-and-code-stelarcs-alternate-anatomical-architectures

Figure 2:

Sellars, Nick (2009) Ear on Arm, Australia.
Accessed January 2013 online at: http://www.theverge.com/2012/9/14/3261078/meat-metal-and-code-stelarcs-alternate-anatomical-architectures

Video:

Stelarc, (2012) Earn on Arm Suspension, Melbourne, Australia.
Accessed online January 2013 at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAHagdSBATM