I mentioned before that I was planning on attending a Day of the Dead party at the Art Gallery of Ontario, Museum of the Macabre An Art Party. It wasn’t on Halloween as this was not a Halloween event. The party was held on the official Day of the Dead with a program dedicated to the current exhibit of Guillermo del Toro Living with Monsters.
Shelley and I attended together. We took photos prior to leaving and Shelley decided to go with skull makeup and I decided to give my face a break.
Here we are goofing around trying to out-pose each other.
Museum of the Macabre An Art Party
We were a bit late (parking in Toronto is never easy!) but we still managed to catch some of the very unique and um…rather unusual explicit performance art of Kembra Pfahler known for heading the band The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black. Although she is considered a feminist at the climax of the evening (literally) I was left scratching my head as to how to wrap my brain around what I’d just seen as promoting feminism. In fact I had a difficult time equating the whole performance as art. Do naked women dancing around in blue body paint with large afro wigs and big pink lips while singing screaming equal art?
If you want to take a look for yourselves I’ve found an old video online explaining part of what she does…
*WARNING* this is Not Safe For Work and strictly 18+ viewing.
*Disclamer* If you don’t care for this type of thing please do not view the video. You’ve had fair warning. I take no responsibility for offending anyone.
After the show butt prints were being handed out. As in, Kembra bends all the way over, slathers blue paint everywhere, all up in there, while everyone is watching and then sits on a piece of paper. Can that be called art?
In the end I figured that the fact that it made me think was indeed what all art endeavours to do so in that sense I suppose it was a success. Here is a photo that doesn’t do the performance justice but it was all I could get from where we stood. And yes, she performed the whole thing nude, painted blue. She is the one on the left.
We also attended a live talk with Ladyfag, a party producer (what a wild occupation!) who appeared semi nude and wearing very tall stripper boots in glorious red patent leather. She used her hair as partial coverage à la Lady Godiva but I can assure you she was topless wearing very small short-shorts.
Both Shelley and I found it difficult to look her in the face when her boobs kept moving and she kept adjusting her hair. It was like a car accident, you don’t want to look but you feel compelled.
I was sad when I realized we had missed the performance piece of Charlie le Mindu.
The world he creates with hair and the human body is truly from another universe. Here is one of his performance pieces back when he worked in high fashion. *WARNING* there is some nudity but it is is very tastefully done.
There were interactive exhibits where we were able to leave our wishes for the future dead with an old manual typewriter.
This was the alter where you left your messages and you can see some of the messages people typed on the tray.
There were also the Holy Mountain videos by Mexican visual artist, filmmaker, writer and activist Leo Herrera which I would describe as nightmarish.
Using the art gallery as a base for a party is a fantastic idea.
You can wander through the galleries and feel surrounded by history and art all the while dance music is playing and people are mingling.
The AGO also opens up their vaults and share pieces they don’t normally exhibit.
This evening it was artists who designed many of the record album covers from the late 60s and early 70s. I took a photo of this poster that was meant for a concert for the Doors that was cancelled. Jim Morrison was arrested for indecent exposure and accused of trying to incite a riot in Miami and many of the subsequent concert dates were cancelled so this poster was never used.
It was an interesting eye opening evening out on the town that combined art, music and people in a fantastic environment. It pushed some of my personal boundaries and forced me to grow in unexpected ways.
I will be keeping my eye peeled for upcoming events at the AGO to attend in the future.
Do you have any personal restrictions on what you consider to be art?
Linking up with the wonderful Patti over at Visible Monday.
Ah, Jim Morrison is art in every way. His “birth home” is just a mile from here, and still attracts visitors. You and Shelley are the cat’s meow in your phantasmic dresses! I’m embarrassed to say I get bored at high concept art shows, because I am old (?) or perhaps boring (?) myself. I do love original, outside-the-box thinking and writing, but don’t like to sit still for very long. That said, I’ll try anything once. xox
-Patti
http://notdeadyetstyle.com
I don’t know if Kembra’s performance was so much High Art as pornography. They do seem to blur the lines between the two.
I’m a big fan of art and have studied it over a lifetime but, honestly, “performance art” leaves me cold. I don’t respect or enjoy it. Often, it’s a bad joke.
I love your poses. I could never hope to “out-pose” you!
I’ve seen some performance art that was incredible and very well done. This one did not come across that way.
What an intriguing night out.
I’ve seen a fair bit of performance art, the act I watched featuring meat hooks threaded through the eyelids, nipples and genitals remains with me to this day. They say that art is anything that provokes a reaction so, love it or loathe it, if it’s memorable then I suppose its a success.
You and Shelley look utterly fabulous. Shelley’s make-up is brilliant but I don’t blame you for giving your face a break. xxx
I couldn’t wait for your comment Vix because I knew you would have experience in this area.
No doubt that horrific visual would stay with you.
Definitely interesting, but I’m not sure I’d enjoy it either. We just went to a fashion show where there was lots of mesh and no bras. And for some reason, we couldn’t enjoy the fashion. Maybe if we saw boobs all the time, then it wouldn’t be such a shock???
XOXO
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
Ha! Yes! Although you’d think that since we have our own boobs we wouldn’t be so shocked by other peoples.
Ron has the same attitude towards art as you. It is art if it makes you think.
I just like it or I don’t. But hey, I am shallow.
I watched the video of Charlie le Mindu. What an unusual but skilful art. It must take him ages to create those hair dos (what an insult to call them this. Language problem here dear) and bodies.
It is nice to have been captivated, to have had an interesting night. And I would have gone as victim of Shelley. That pcture where she tries to stangle you….
Greetje
I would have loved to have seen what Ron would have thought of the pieces performed that evening.
What a cool night!! In that first photo, I have to say, it looks like Shelley was so unimpressed by your company that you turned her into a skull face. Hahaha! SO MUCH FUN. I love both of your looks and I find shocked to think you two could go anywhere and not be the most dressed up (undressed) in the bunch. Yes, I would certainly have been thinking. Those hair pieces are stunning! Even taller than mine! It looks like they were in a store… I should shop there. Heh.
I would have loved to have had your opinion of the performance pieces we saw that night.
Wow, you and Shelley do look the part. You’re looking fab, even without the face paint! That’s an interesting night out, to put it mildly. I must admit that I’ve never seen any live performance art. I was wincing when I read about the butt prints. Oh dear. I would have loved having a look at the late 1960s, early 1970s art, though. This is much more my thing. xxx
If you were wincing about the butt prints you would have turned away for the finale of the evening which was totally beyond me.
Oh, I lost the comment 🙁 I loved your dress and the event must have been really amazing! Really nice to be able to leave comments there, and to enjoy the atmosphere of the macabre party 🙂 Like one of my brothers said, art is everything that is made for fruition, and whether people like it or not, that is subjective. So I think that this event was awesome and really impressive, I liked the pictures and the skull makeup 🙂 Hope you have a great week! Bisous!
DenisesPlanet.com
I hate it when I lose my comment : (. Sorry about that.
I agree with Ally, performance art is difficult for me to enjoy, part of the experience of art is to take it it and enjoy it…I do not like it when it is forced upon you…
You looked fabulous though in your dress and flower crown. A dramatic and artsy look perfect for this venue. And Shelley looked cool!
A fun night, it seems, good to push boundaries..
❤️❤️❤️
Elle
https://theellediaries.com/
I think the evening made me question myself which is always a good thing.
I think you and Shelley were ART that evening as well. The impact wasn’t as macabre but it was no less sincere and still impactful. While your face rested, Shelley’s was tested. Naked, blue, genital focused art was also seen that evening.
You two look splendiferous!
Ha ha! you’re a poet Jude!
Charlie le Mindu looks fascinating; very cool!
You two look great as well.
The two performances that you describe sound terrible. I tend to get very annoyed by ‘art’ like that. I don’t mind nudity, nor do I mind art that pushes boundaries. But too often it feels like a waste of my time.
I have a close friend who does performance art. Sometimes I can relate and appreciate what she does, sometimes I really can’t.
There were parts of the evening that I really liked but the “climax” was really unnecessary for me and felt more like female exploitation rather than empowerment.