Synopsis "Dennis Oppenheim: Body to Performance 1969–73 (in English)"
A comprehensive view of Dennis Oppenheim’s radical art practices during this explosive five-year period.Dennis Oppenheim was a pioneer in the fields of earthworks, conceptual art, body art, and performance. This monograph follows the studio practice, public performance works, and gallery and museum shows that took place between 1969–1973 with documentation of conceptual performance works in slide, film, video, and photographic form exhibited alone or as a component of installations. A special emphasis will be how works such as Arm and Wire, 1969; Reading Position for Second Degree Burn, 1970; and Wishing Well, 1973, are made with diverse mediums and modes of work in which the idea and act of time-based performance is central.Dennis Oppenheim was a pioneer in the fields of earthworks, conceptual art, body art, and performance.Since the 1960s Oppenheim’s works have been included regularly in international group exhibitions, at such venues as the Museum of Modern Art, Centre Georges Pompidou, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Venice Biennale (1976, 1980, and 2001) and Documenta in Kassel (1972 and 1977).Solo exhibitions have been held at the Tate Gallery (1972); the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris (1979); and the Whitney Museum of American Art (1983 and 2003).Nick Kaye is Professor of Performance Studies at the University of Exeter. His research focuses on the development of performance theory and practice through sculpture, architecture, conceptual and performance art, experimental music, installation, and video. His books include Art into Theatre: Performance Interviews and Documents (1996), Site-Specific Art: Performance, Place and Documentation (2000), Multi-Media: video-installation-Performance (2007), and Performing Presence (2011, with Gabriella Giannachi). Research will be conducted in collaboration with the Dennis Oppenheim Estate.Amy van Winkle Oppenheim, third wife of the artist, is curator of the Dennis Oppenheim Estate.
