ARTIST
Orlan is a French appropriation artist , born May 30, 1947 in Saint-Étienne, Loire. She is from contemporary art period but is know as a postmodern, cultural and performance artist. Orlan physically alters her body to question the idea of beauty and the real reason why we see certain people and things as beautiful. She uses satire, parody or irony to question the western canon. She aims to evoke her audience to question and challenge their knowledge of what is important in the world and more specifically the art world. Using activism she attempts to break the barriers of gender, generations and general art practice. Orlan uses modern technology in the form of plastic surgery to work on the concept of image and to reinvent herself in the name of art. Her ultimate goal is to be different and to teach women not to conform to society’s image of beauty. Orlan’s philosophy is that women should physically alter themselves if they please, but only for themselves not because that’s what society says is they should do to achieve beauty. Orlan’s art making-process and art is unique as 50 years ago she would not be able create her art, due to the lack of technology (surgeries) available.
ARTWORK
Orlan uses her own body to create art. Her unique artwork and artistic performances create discussion and controversy throughout the world and ask people to question society’s beliefs.
ARTISTS KISS
The ‘artist kiss’ is a performance piece that conflicts audiences to challenge their view on what society accepts. The performance occurred near the Grand Palais during the FIAC fair in Paris 1977; she sold her own kisses for 5 Francs in an intentionally provocative manor. Orlan has said that women were happy to kiss her whilst men not so much, doing this she lost her job which allowed her to further in her art.
AFRICAN SELF - HYBRIDISATION
Since then she kept involving her body in her art, this began her art form and introduced her belief in making own model instead of a model society has made.Orlan’s artwork ‘African self- hybridation Ndebele Giraffe Woman of Ngami Stock, Zimbabwe, With Euro-Parisian Woman’ is showing Orlan as a traditional African woman. This is portraying to the audience a different image of beauty from a different culture other than the patriarchal Western idea of beauty. Orlan has done this to question why is the western image of beauty more accepted/idolised and why are other forms of beauty in the shadows, only considered beauty to that particular culture. We can see this message by the way Orlan has changed herself into other an African women, showing their cultures means of beauty. By adding her face into the image the message that everything and every cultures ideals of beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, is conveyed to us. The idea that beauty can be and is different and we all shouldn’t look up to one image of beauty is also seen in this image
WORLD
- All of her life men were the above women so she wanted to break barriers although Orlan had other worries and created her art
- Contemporary art in performance (quite often done in public)
- Her past surgery’s have influenced her to create more art using plastic surgery
- Past experiences of pregnancy gave her motivation and inspiration to use her body as a piece of art and modify or alter her body image.
AUDIENCE
- Challenges audience to consider the body of status in society
- Sometimes described by the public as “Anti-feminist”
- Artworks create discussion and controversy.
ORLAN THROUGH THE POSTMODERN FRAME
Orlan’s work uncovers hidden truths about women beauty and why there is just one image we look up to, an image of beauty from western culture. She challenges audiences to question this and why is as it is. In her work she surgically alters her body to look like that of the ideal women of the western world, using satire, irony and parody to question society’s views about beauty. She tries to depict her philosophy through her art that women shouldn’t aspire to look like what is believed to be beautiful and that they should have the courage to choose what they want to look like. Orlan lives this out in her art, through the use plastic surgery to show audiences that is how she wants to look.
ORLAN THROUGH THE CULTURAL FRAME
In Orlan’s work she questions the image of beauty, why is the western image of beauty more beautiful compared to other images from other cultures. She communicates the idea that women should be allowed to do want they want with their bodies rather than trying to be the preferred and conformed image (which is created by men). In her work she looks at the western culture and their image of beauty and this image in society. She also uses other images of beauty, such as traditional indigenous cultures in her work to highlight the importance of that particular culture. She visually represents the issues of why their image of beauty is not as valued as that of the patriarchal western images of beauty.
Orlan is a French appropriation artist , born May 30, 1947 in Saint-Étienne, Loire. She is from contemporary art period but is know as a postmodern, cultural and performance artist. Orlan physically alters her body to question the idea of beauty and the real reason why we see certain people and things as beautiful. She uses satire, parody or irony to question the western canon. She aims to evoke her audience to question and challenge their knowledge of what is important in the world and more specifically the art world. Using activism she attempts to break the barriers of gender, generations and general art practice. Orlan uses modern technology in the form of plastic surgery to work on the concept of image and to reinvent herself in the name of art. Her ultimate goal is to be different and to teach women not to conform to society’s image of beauty. Orlan’s philosophy is that women should physically alter themselves if they please, but only for themselves not because that’s what society says is they should do to achieve beauty. Orlan’s art making-process and art is unique as 50 years ago she would not be able create her art, due to the lack of technology (surgeries) available.
ARTWORK
Orlan uses her own body to create art. Her unique artwork and artistic performances create discussion and controversy throughout the world and ask people to question society’s beliefs.
ARTISTS KISS
The ‘artist kiss’ is a performance piece that conflicts audiences to challenge their view on what society accepts. The performance occurred near the Grand Palais during the FIAC fair in Paris 1977; she sold her own kisses for 5 Francs in an intentionally provocative manor. Orlan has said that women were happy to kiss her whilst men not so much, doing this she lost her job which allowed her to further in her art.
AFRICAN SELF - HYBRIDISATION
Since then she kept involving her body in her art, this began her art form and introduced her belief in making own model instead of a model society has made.Orlan’s artwork ‘African self- hybridation Ndebele Giraffe Woman of Ngami Stock, Zimbabwe, With Euro-Parisian Woman’ is showing Orlan as a traditional African woman. This is portraying to the audience a different image of beauty from a different culture other than the patriarchal Western idea of beauty. Orlan has done this to question why is the western image of beauty more accepted/idolised and why are other forms of beauty in the shadows, only considered beauty to that particular culture. We can see this message by the way Orlan has changed herself into other an African women, showing their cultures means of beauty. By adding her face into the image the message that everything and every cultures ideals of beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, is conveyed to us. The idea that beauty can be and is different and we all shouldn’t look up to one image of beauty is also seen in this image
WORLD
- All of her life men were the above women so she wanted to break barriers although Orlan had other worries and created her art
- Contemporary art in performance (quite often done in public)
- Her past surgery’s have influenced her to create more art using plastic surgery
- Past experiences of pregnancy gave her motivation and inspiration to use her body as a piece of art and modify or alter her body image.
AUDIENCE
- Challenges audience to consider the body of status in society
- Sometimes described by the public as “Anti-feminist”
- Artworks create discussion and controversy.
ORLAN THROUGH THE POSTMODERN FRAME
Orlan’s work uncovers hidden truths about women beauty and why there is just one image we look up to, an image of beauty from western culture. She challenges audiences to question this and why is as it is. In her work she surgically alters her body to look like that of the ideal women of the western world, using satire, irony and parody to question society’s views about beauty. She tries to depict her philosophy through her art that women shouldn’t aspire to look like what is believed to be beautiful and that they should have the courage to choose what they want to look like. Orlan lives this out in her art, through the use plastic surgery to show audiences that is how she wants to look.
ORLAN THROUGH THE CULTURAL FRAME
In Orlan’s work she questions the image of beauty, why is the western image of beauty more beautiful compared to other images from other cultures. She communicates the idea that women should be allowed to do want they want with their bodies rather than trying to be the preferred and conformed image (which is created by men). In her work she looks at the western culture and their image of beauty and this image in society. She also uses other images of beauty, such as traditional indigenous cultures in her work to highlight the importance of that particular culture. She visually represents the issues of why their image of beauty is not as valued as that of the patriarchal western images of beauty.