Sadomasochism
“There are a number of reasons commonly given for why a sadomasochist finds the practice of S&M enjoyable, and the answer is largely dependent on the individual. For some, taking on a role of compliance or helplessness offers a form of therapeutic escape; from the stresses of life, from responsibility, or from guilty. For others, being under the power of a strong, controlling presence may evoke the feelings of safety and protection associated with childhood. ”
“I feel that the essential nature of the pain in those designated as masochists is low self-esteem and that it develops in a childhood context of inadequate loving nurturance. I strongly believe that low self-esteem evolves from and is maintained by the competitive social milieu and a resultant personal functioning, which is diffusely competitive.”
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7558979
I find it quite useful because I got to know the possible reasons of Masochism and what people may feel through the process of Masochism. As it says, “Being under the power of a strong, controlling presence may evoke the feelings of safety and protection associated with childhood”. “Power and controlling” could be a start point of my work. It could be a 3D installation which allowed the audience to experience the pain and also the safety brought by strong controlling. The idea of “childhood” is also interesting, I was thinking suggesting the idea of “Masochism” through describing someone’s unsafe and horrible childhood. It could be like a biography, but in a visual way.
“Sexual masochism disorder is a condition in which someone is sexually aroused by being bound, beaten, or otherwise made to suffer physical pain or humiliation. This desire can cause a significant amount of distress.”
"The type of distress that people with this disorder may experience includes severe anxiety, guilt, shame, and obsessive thoughts about engaging in sexual masochism."
https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/conditions/sexual-masochism-disorder
This paragraph gives some example of Masochism actions, “being bound” is easily to be visualized. So there could be some suggestions of being bound or some sense of struggling and “being restricted”. Some material such as strings, hot wires could be appropriate to convey these kinds of feelings. And “humiliation” is another interesting point to start. For example, my work could be a shameful performance happened in a wide, open area where lots people going by. And it could be under a strong light and being focused. Like a nude performing in front lots of people without shame? And with the reaction of the audience, a strong contrast could be created. But the way of presenting the reactions should be considered carefully. It could be impossible to describe specific, so maybe think some ways to describe it in more abstract way.
Masochism Performance Art
Pleading in the blood: the art and performance of Ron Athey
The word “Masochism” is quite abstract to me and I think I need to research some example to help me understand its meaning through visualisation.
Looking Ron Athey’s work is helpful because the narratives he created are so strong. To be more specific, the dark background and light work together to create a sense of focus on his action.
He pierces himself with spikes and needles and allows blood to spurt wildly from his head. Red and black work can create his bloody narrative and communicate his concept of crisis, punishment and death effectively.
-I also observed that the elements he choose to create his performance work were simple but strong. Blood on a piece of transparent glass creates a fantasy shadows on the ground, working together with the light source from above.
-Speaking of the sense he is trying to communicate, I think his subtle expressions interpret the emotions really well. It’s painful to be pierced with needles and bleeding, but his expression is not extremely painful and desiring to run away, but a kind of enjoying and accepting the pains he is experiencing, which I guess is the performance of “Masochism”.
-the balance of horror and desire he creates convey a sense of contradictory as well, which makes people question and think deeply about his circumstance.
ZHANG HUAN
This is a performance work happened in a public toilet, which of course is a strong background. In the photography, Zhang Huan is sitting naked on an iron stool. What leaves me an unforgettable impression is that his body is covered with varies flies. A Disgusting but extremely strong narrative. What connect it to my key word “Masochism” is that the artist paints his own body with honey and fish oil to attract the flies. I guess this behaviour is to reveal the common environment of poor rural area in 90s China.
Rather than the concept he wants to express, the way of conveying the narrative actually inspires me more. His performance happened in a public toilet in rural area, where is extremely open to everyone and has no privacy. This makes me wonder if he wants a sense of shame or humiliation to help strengthen the sense of pain. This can be a direction to communicate “Masochism” in my work. For example, it can be an open place, such as a city hall or a big square where hold lots of people. And the performance or the narrative I create could be dark and shameless. So maybe a strong contrast can make the whole thing really interesting and strong.
Slight Uncertainty II by Michal Trpak
The floating cement figures are holding coloured umbrellas.
It was created to suggest the impact of finance crisis.
-I think this can be recognized by the figure’s formal dressing, which means they could work in finance area. Also, the look of their face are pretty serious and frightening, it’s may because floating into the air is unexpected to them, as they are all looking down.
What interests me most is the strong atmosphere it has created using human shape and also the participation of people walking past by. From the photography took at night we can see there were lots of people looking up at the figures.
It’s both an installation art and also an interactive artwork. Those hanging figures can be a form to present the idea of “Masochism”.
Merry-go-around
I realised that merry-go-around is a good combination with pleasure and pain. As I want to use the idea “being bound” to suggest Masochism, but I think it can’t be just “pain”, I need to add some sense of “pleasure” as well. So I think about using the form of merry-go-around to suggest “pleasure”. Some delightful horses seem to be hung on to the top and this has a connection to my idea of “being bound”. I could create a scene where human bodies hanging to the top of something and spinning around under warm light. Then the content is about painful, but the form is about pleasure.
Visual Reference
Collage of pasted papers
Cut with the Dada Kitchen Knife through the Last Weimar Beer-Belly Cultural Epoch in Germany
“Here she uses cuttings from newspapers and magazines to create one cohesive image out of a myriad of disparate parts. This technique of taking words and images from the established press to make new and subversive statements was highly innovative.”
“The effect is initially one of visual confusion, and yet a kind of nonsense-narrative begins to develop with sustained attention. One figure is transformed into something else by the addition of a de-contextualised newspaper clipping.”
https://www.theartstory.org/artist-hoch-hannah.htm
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I choose collage as the main way to presenting my idea because tearing can create a sense of rudeness and struggling. I find this work is inspiring because the artist combines cuttings from newspapers and magazines to suggest a totally new concept. The items included seem to be put randomly but of course they are not. The figures are recreated by combing clothes and items that seem isolated to them to form a strong narrative. This inspired me on how to use collage to convey my concept effectively. Despite the original background of the figures in magazines, I tore them off and combine them together for communicating my concept. For example, the figure I use could be models in a fashion magazine. But in my work, they will be used as the human who are masochistic.
Kurt Schwittres
opened by customs
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I love the effect created by old stamps, vintage paper and trash in this collage, which is lack of order but makes me think of a memory. He also investigated links between seemingly unconnected objects and ideas, for example an envelope and bread packaging at the right bottom. I love the way he combines objects in different world into one piece of work and imply a new sense. I think he didn’t collect things aimlessly, because all the items included in this work has similar colours and can work in a balanced. This makes me think of how to make my collage to achieve balance but not just separate items putting together and makes no sense. Maybe use newspaper in the background?
Merz Picture 32 A. The Cherry Picture (1921)
Kurt Schwittres
This is also an abstract collage, creating an intricate and complex work that incorporates many different materials and pieces. I love the layers he created, which is lack of order but it’s just like an abstract description of our messy world. And he investigated some examples of commercial culture, such as product labels and newspaper clippings, provoked the audience to consider the relationship between art and everyday life.
Richard Hamilton
Four self- Potraits
This kind of art work is common to see in Pop art, repeating and mixing different materials to create a series of work. What I find common sense between this piece of work and my work is the used of painted stroked on his own face. I am thinking covering impressions on models’ faces because they are interrupting the communication of senses in my work. Maybe with colored paint as what Hamilton did in this work.
Xylem by Angelo Musco
The artist overlays human images in order to construct a new structure. At a distance, the image appears to be something from nature such as a tree, nest, honeycomb or web, while at close-range, we recognise masses of nude bodies making up the giant structure.
This series of work are inspiring because of the way he plays bodies of human. This makes me realise how interesting our body could be and the possibility to apply human body to my work. Conceptually, what I get from this work is how tiny and weak humans are, compared to nature.