The art of acting out is one that is momentary is context, with new age media, such as Internet and video being vital to the documentation and legacy of the work and the artist. I have been interested in artists that push physical boundaries to the limit. So i thought that this was as good a place to start as any. Why do i like this type of work? Why do i like to see people possibly hurt themselves? 

Artists like Bas Jan Ader and Chris Burden took this to an extreme in the 70's and i will explore their work in later blogs. For this post i want to look at why i like this work. Now in today's society these actions are familiar with shows You've been Framed and the more extreme Jackass on MTV making these actions funny and in some cases banal.

YouTube - Chris Burden "Shoot"

YouTube - Jackass self defence

So what is the difference between Burdan's work and the pain that Johnny Knoxville puts himself through getting shot with a taser gun. They are both acts of putting the body under pain, so where is the difference between the two (and the performance artists of today). Burden earned no money from his work, where as Knoxville has earned good money off of his stunts. Burdens film has been seen by very few people where as Knoxville is repeated on MTV and seen by millions. So on both of these things knoxville is the more successful "artist". The difference i see between the two is the context that they are filmed and shown in. Burdens is shot in an art space, he is with two other people, the gunman and the camera operator. This adds to the isolation of the artist, his reaction is also one the puts it in stark contrast to Knoxville. Burden looks stunned, he shows little emotion  and immediately walks out of shot, presumably to seek medical attention, which cost him more than he actually earned from the piece. In stark contrast Knoxville and his friends are laughing about the pain caused to their friend and inflect more pain, he himself is laughing about the pain. The constant flow of the Jaskass show repeats many gags in slightly different ways becoming not about the pain that the person is going through but the reaction to the people watching the event, either friend to the show or non conforming passer by.

It is the context that these two pieces of film are shown and held in that keep them from crossing contextual paths. It is the history of the artists that holds them apart, the education within an art institution for burden, the paths they cross, networks, the way they considered their own work. All these things contribute to holding Burdens as art and Knoxvilles Jackass as pop culture.