Upper upchuck
June 18, 2011 4:36 AM   Subscribe

I don't like art with puke. It's not in my pallet. It's disgusting.
posted by twoleftfeet (69 comments total) 6 users marked this as a favorite
 
The pallet link features some of the most pretentious and failed execution I've seen in a long time. Don't they even teach you how to puke at art school anymore?
posted by Foci for Analysis at 4:47 AM on June 18, 2011 [1 favorite]


That should be the "art with puke" link.
posted by Foci for Analysis at 4:49 AM on June 18, 2011 [1 favorite]


Millie Brown was part of this selection of artists who used their own bodily fluids (and excretion) to make art. Materials included shit, urine, blood, vomit, sweat, and semen.
posted by gman at 4:50 AM on June 18, 2011 [1 favorite]


"Palette".

(sigh)
posted by Trurl at 4:56 AM on June 18, 2011 [9 favorites]


Piss Christ Puke Metafilter.
posted by Fizz at 4:59 AM on June 18, 2011


In other news, Tubgirl nominated for this year's Turner Prize.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 5:05 AM on June 18, 2011 [5 favorites]


From one's palate to one's palette.
posted by ShutterBun at 5:07 AM on June 18, 2011 [5 favorites]


That's just fucking stupid. And what's with the porn-star heels?

This falls into the same category as pee/poo 'art'.
posted by bwg at 5:26 AM on June 18, 2011


Quite un-pal[let]table, in short.
posted by Namlit at 5:29 AM on June 18, 2011


The New York per­for­mance artist Mil­lie Brown lives the dream of every bu­limia high school stu­dent: She makes a liv­ing while puk­ing.

Now, I've never been one myself, so pardon me if I'm speaking out of turn, but I doubt any bulimic high school student shares this dream. What shit.
posted by Terminal Verbosity at 5:45 AM on June 18, 2011 [4 favorites]


Please tell me this is NEA-funded.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 5:49 AM on June 18, 2011 [3 favorites]


I've finally defined "Performance Art": Shit (no pun intended here, really) I do that is yet another symptom of my mental illness. You will find this "performance art" to be (pick one) disturbing/illegal/disgusting/smelly/ugly.
posted by tomswift at 5:56 AM on June 18, 2011 [1 favorite]


Stunt art. It gets attention, but serious art collectors and museums should know better.
posted by theora55 at 6:10 AM on June 18, 2011 [1 favorite]


I don't read it as stunt art. The second link with the full length video so far is evocative and conflicted. Is it about the unsatisfying cycle of consumerism or the unwanted sexual objectification of women? That only a woman's self-torture and sacrifice in the name of aesthetic beauty has marketable value? Or all of the above?

I wanted to snark and say Throbbing Gristle and GG Allin want their ritualistic bodily fluids back, but this isn't the same thing.
posted by loquacious at 6:33 AM on June 18, 2011 [3 favorites]


"oh, hell, my 2 year old daughter can puke better than that"
posted by pyramid termite at 6:58 AM on June 18, 2011 [12 favorites]


Just thought I'd pop in to say I'm not clicking on that. : /
posted by Glinn at 7:04 AM on June 18, 2011 [3 favorites]


I suddenly have far more respect for the Obeast artist.
posted by mittens at 7:06 AM on June 18, 2011


omg so scandalous. eyeroll.

rainbow puking is kinda a neat idea but this fell flat. Took way too long for the money shot. Song choice was soooo obvious. I feel like I've seen similar scenes with this song in 100 movies (something gross/disturbing juxtaposed to pretty music, specifically this song) Although, the singers were good. Too bad they are back up for the attn hooker.
posted by ian1977 at 7:11 AM on June 18, 2011


My vomit is more sculptural.
posted by The Owls at 7:13 AM on June 18, 2011 [1 favorite]




Somebody must have done this before. Hack artists without dignity pretty much ask themselves "What gets an artist noticed in lieu of talent? Taboo subjects. What is still taboo? Hmm, sex, mutilation and bodily fluids. How can I use one or several as a medium and/or theme and garner the publicity I crave? Got it!"

Later: "Look at me! Look at me! I'm shitting on replica fifties! And I replaced Grant with Mickey Mouse! Ooh, the bourgeoisie will be irate that I'm sticking it to their disgusting, empty consumer culture! Someone write an article."
posted by Mayor Curley at 7:23 AM on June 18, 2011 [4 favorites]


I thought it was going to be more shocking than that. And I thought the set up was a bit contrived. "Watch me sit in this chair for a minute, wearing all black in a white room. Now watch me wobble on over in my far-too-high heels and get a glass. Now I'll wobble back, and sit, thoughtfully drinking my rainbow. Hold on, I have to walk back again. I swear its going to get good soon."
And really its not vomit. That mess had been in her stomach all of three minutes. It kind of takes away from the idea.
posted by shesaysgo at 7:32 AM on June 18, 2011 [1 favorite]


Ah yes, performance art. "Art" for people with bad ideas who yet, somehow, nonetheless lack the technical skills to execute them properly.
posted by 1adam12 at 7:35 AM on June 18, 2011


I'm completely down for self-expression, but this isn't art. It's biology.
posted by Benny Andajetz at 7:40 AM on June 18, 2011


"What gets an artist noticed in lieu of talent? Taboo subjects. What is still taboo? Hmm, sex, mutilation and bodily fluids. How can I use one or several as a medium and/or theme and garner the publicity I crave? Got it!"

Sometimes you need that shit to get noticed as a talent, but I do not think this is the case here.
posted by three blind mice at 8:01 AM on June 18, 2011


Ah yes, performance art. "Art" for people with bad ideas who yet, somehow, nonetheless lack the technical skills to execute them properly.

Educate yourself. Your glib dismissal is wrong. But we've gone a few days without a post in which people can exercise their benighted and unearned contempt by making generalizations about something thay feel they have received collective permission to despise.

Oh, wait, there was that easy listening thread yesterday ...
posted by Astro Zombie at 8:23 AM on June 18, 2011 [6 favorites]


Let me introduce you to one Jubal Brown who did this back in the 90s on a couple paintings in museums. Very dreary angry young man stuff. So, the idea here isn't even that new, just the immaculate presentation. Reminds me of Vanessa Beecroft and her polished emptiness.
posted by Phlegmco(tm) at 8:23 AM on June 18, 2011


Oh, here, let's up the contempt stakes. Somebody calls her a hipster!
posted by Astro Zombie at 8:27 AM on June 18, 2011


Please tell me this is NEA-funded.

The yearly NEA funding is 150 million, which is a few hours spending in Iraq. Perhaps you should re-prioritize your outrage to something that makes sense. Personally, I'd rather pay a few thousand dollars for some arty people to throw up on canvas than contribute to more violence and death. It's far less expensive and nobody dies.
posted by notion at 8:30 AM on June 18, 2011 [5 favorites]


What a tragic piece. Transgression without any expectation of catharsis makes this a joyless compulsion, a decadent, meaningless exercise in detachment.

It makes me sad.
posted by eeeeeez at 8:33 AM on June 18, 2011


The NEA does not fund individual artists.
posted by Astro Zombie at 8:34 AM on June 18, 2011 [2 favorites]


Let me introduce you to one Jubal Brown who did this back in the 90s on a couple paintings in museums. Very dreary angry young man stuff.

I met Jubal Brown at an art opening four or five years back (my date was an acquaintance of his). I made some reference to his infamous vomitus, and he rolled his eyes. I am pretty sure it is the classic example of an artist doing something for which he is known to the end of his days, despite his best efforts, The visual arts equivalent of a one-hit wonder.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 8:41 AM on June 18, 2011


And lovely framing of the post. If you feel distaste fot somethiing, and feel the need to say so in the text of the IPP, maybe you're not the best person to be making the post.

Oh, duck it, I'm flagging it as LOLCONTEMPORARYARTFORPEOPLEWHOMISSEDTHEIRCHANCETOLAUGHATTHEARMORYSHOW.
posted by Astro Zombie at 8:42 AM on June 18, 2011 [1 favorite]


Millie Brown was part of this selection of artists who used their own bodily fluids (and excretion) to make art. Materials included shit, urine, blood, vomit, sweat, and semen.

Millie Brown used her own semen to make art? Well now I am impressed.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 8:57 AM on June 18, 2011


Color this bourgeoisie un-épaté
posted by benito.strauss at 8:59 AM on June 18, 2011


Rule 34 y'all. Rule 34.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 9:01 AM on June 18, 2011


Just give up, AZ. If mefites ever stop glibly dismissing vast areas of art about which they are wholly ignorant, I'll eat my chapeau and puke it up in the shape of a pipe.
posted by generalist at 9:01 AM on June 18, 2011 [10 favorites]


Let me introduce you to one Jubal Brown who did this back in the 90s on a couple paintings in museums.

Stuart Brisley
's been puking and shitting for his performance art since the 1960's.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 9:07 AM on June 18, 2011


Go ahead, generalist, but to all the Mefites who can't help but comment on things they know next to nothing about: c'est ne pas une pipe.
posted by kozad at 9:07 AM on June 18, 2011


If mefites ever stop glibly dismissing vast areas of art about which they are wholly ignorant, I'll eat my chapeau and puke it up in the shape of a pipe.

I'm not sure whether this will sound dismissive, but over the last five minutes or so of reading links and looking at pics, I've developed the impression that Ms. Brown would be really fun to hang out with. She's bright, beautiful, and probably a blast at parties. If the goal here is to advertise herself, with the art as a necessary byproduct of same, then all right. I am not sure this is something I would consider to be notable art in and of itself. It is obviously working for her, though, and *sigh* call me, vomit painter girl
posted by kittens for breakfast at 9:08 AM on June 18, 2011


On another note, I was wondering if I could watch someone puke without provoking the urge to vomit myself. (Everyone knows that the smell of vomit makes one want to vomit. My pet theory about this is that if one member of a tribe vomited, it would indicate that what they all ate was bad, so they would all vomit. Hence, people sensitive to others' vomiting would be more likely to survive and pass down that genetic tendency.)

In any case, I couldn't watch that performance. And not just because of its white-eyelashed pretentiousness.
posted by kozad at 9:12 AM on June 18, 2011


Educate yourself. Your glib dismissal is wrong.

It was good, but it was no Interior Semiotics.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 9:18 AM on June 18, 2011 [1 favorite]


It's not real art unless you can catch herpes, syphilis, and the swine flu from it.
posted by 1000monkeys at 9:27 AM on June 18, 2011


It's amazing that a site the userbase of which prides itself on being liberal and openminded and intellectual and smart and stuff can sound so much like my cranky Republican dad as soon as the topic of art comes up.
posted by shakespeherian at 9:53 AM on June 18, 2011 [2 favorites]


It's been done.
posted by bonobothegreat at 10:04 AM on June 18, 2011


It's been referenced.
posted by Astro Zombie at 10:22 AM on June 18, 2011


from the first llnk: So stylish and angelic only a few humans can vomit

what
posted by dubold at 10:29 AM on June 18, 2011


Your glib dismissal is wrong.

I'd be interested to hear your explanation of why you think this artist is interesting, exciting, groundbreaking, etc.

Seriously! I realize that could sound sarcastic, but I do mean it.
posted by dubold at 10:32 AM on June 18, 2011 [1 favorite]


No one? I'll be the first to offer a considered opinion for discussion, then.

The middle one is definitely student work. The idea that an artist somehow excretes their work must be pretty old, and this gets in on the ground floor where the artist doesn't have to commit to anything that puts their ego in peril, but can still come across with the idea of pain and loss of vomit... but rainbows!

I like the last guy. I don't care for his end product, but his attitude that it's just another mark-making technique is one way to go with the old vomiting artist thing. He's not pretentious, he can just puke paint. So he does. Good.

The girl in the first one is the other way to go with it. She's doing what student #2 didn't have the stomach (!) to do, and she gets more out of it. There's something sexual about the act itself, and even about the traditional ways to decontextualize performance like this (the leotard, mainly), so she intensifies it with the heels. Also, it's easier to crouch like that with your weight already pitched forward. She's very vulnerable and the act of sticking your fingers (or anything) down your throat is intensely private, sometimes sexual, and sometimes shameful. The opera singers are kind of weird. I guess she's bringing in the classical, vanilla music we've all heard a million times to bring down the shock of what she's doing. Ultimately, what's wrong with vomiting on a canvas? Why shouldn't that be in your toolbox as a painter? Well, it's usually not, so it's performance.

None of this is groundbreaking, but it is literally viscerally exciting. As for interesting, I spent a few minutes thinking about the arbitrary taboo and how it extends to the realm of Art where there aren't supposed to be, or maybe shouldn't be any taboos. My mind isn't blown or anything, but I'm not moved to dismiss everything from Rrose Selavy to Blue Man Group over it.
posted by cmoj at 10:53 AM on June 18, 2011 [4 favorites]


I'd be interested to hear your explanation of why you think this artist is interesting, exciting, groundbreaking, etc.

I have no opinion about this artist yet. In my experience, with art that's really irritating, it's a good idea to hold back a bit, do some more research, think about it a bit more, and then decide how you feel. Sometimes I will end up really liking and appreciating the art, and something I will wind up still disliking it, but I will have really thought through my reasons, and I still try to be flexible with them, as really challenging art can creep up on you -- years later, you realize how much it impacted you. But, then, some stuff just never clicks with me, and that's fine.

But I wasn't responding to criticism of this work -- although I don't think this thread was framed in a way that would encourage informed criticism of the piece, but instead as a sort of "look at this freakshow and the nonsense art she makes." I was responding to people who put down performance art as a whole, or contemporary art as a whole. I promised myself on MetaFilter that I would speak up when I saw people indulging in that sort of broad, undefended, uninformed dismissal, on the web in general and on MetaFilter specifically. I know it may be a bit irritating, but I think that sort of discussion lowers the quality of discourse, and, elsewhere on the web, has really encouraged a culture of people who pride themselves on how cleverly they can despise something they know nothing about, or feel they somehow have been giver permission to dislike without consideration. I am all for contempt, but I feel it must be earned, and it is earned by knowing what you're talking about.

But instead of cursing the darkness, I've decided to try to add to the light, by putting up my own threads about contemporary art, to demonstrate that it is possible to place it in a context where it is meaningful and exciting, rather than simply showing up in threads like this and hollering at people for not being bothered to examine their own weird prejudice against the creative things other people do that doesn't instantly and perfectly dovetail with their own tastes.
posted by Astro Zombie at 11:08 AM on June 18, 2011 [8 favorites]


The girl in the first one is the other way to go with it. She's doing what student #2 didn't have the stomach (!) to do, and she gets more out of it. There's something sexual about the act itself, and even about the traditional ways to decontextualize performance like this (the leotard, mainly), so she intensifies it with the heels. Also, it's easier to crouch like that with your weight already pitched forward. She's very vulnerable and the act of sticking your fingers (or anything) down your throat is intensely private, sometimes sexual, and sometimes shameful. The opera singers are kind of weird. I guess she's bringing in the classical, vanilla music we've all heard a million times to bring down the shock of what she's doing. Ultimately, what's wrong with vomiting on a canvas? Why shouldn't that be in your toolbox as a painter? Well, it's usually not, so it's performance.

It's performance, but I don't know that the painting is the point. Would we care about the painting if we didn't know her process? It's a -- quite frankly -- sexy thing to watch, largely because she's only vomiting up brightly-colored goop and not, like, chunks; when I looked at this earlier, I didn't see enough to understand that she was actually swallowing her paints and then bringing them up. I sort of hope this is not something she intends to do long-term, though, as this is a great way to destroy your teeth and hurt your esophagus.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 11:10 AM on June 18, 2011


No, I think you're right. The sexualization is definitely the main thrust of what she's doing. But why frame it (I swear I'm not trying for these puns) in terms of painting? Just to code it as art? To further genericize the whole act so that our own arousal isn't something we balk at?
posted by cmoj at 11:23 AM on June 18, 2011


Art rockers also barf.
posted by DaDaDaDave at 12:35 PM on June 18, 2011


I wanted to snark and say Throbbing Gristle and GG Allin want their ritualistic bodily fluids back, but this isn't the same thing.

Before they were a band, Throbbing Gristle were a performance art collective called COUM Transmissions. That's where the bodily fluid stuff came from.
posted by DecemberBoy at 12:57 PM on June 18, 2011




It's a -- quite frankly -- sexy thing to watch, largely because she's only vomiting up brightly-colored goop and not, like, chunks

It is vaguely reminiscent of the work of Max Hardcore, I have to admit.

Though I have to say, I also consider Max more of a performance artist than a pornographer.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 1:09 PM on June 18, 2011


Bulimia is art now? Great message.
posted by anoirmarie at 1:23 PM on June 18, 2011


I sort of hope this is not something she intends to do long-term, though, as this is a great way to destroy your teeth and hurt your esophagus.

I didn't watch the whole thing as I kind of have a "thing" about barfing - I watched just enough to figure out what her process was - and one of the things that struck me the most is the red spots on her knuckles from being burned by stomach acid. Clearly, she's practiced this a few times.

And is it actual paint that she's working with? That's another layer of potential bodily harm right there.

Anyhow. My opinion on the work itself is a solid "Huh." I expected to be repulsed by it, but I'm really not. I don't know if I'd want the final product in my living room, and I (as mentioned) didn't view the whole video - but it's not the worst thing I've ever seen. Now I'm trying to think of the worst thing I've ever seen and I honestly don't even know.
posted by sonika at 1:36 PM on June 18, 2011


...I've finally defined "Performance Art": Shit (no pun intended here, really) I do that is yet another symptom of my mental illness.

...I was responding to people who put down performance art as a whole, or contemporary art as a whole.

...one of the things that struck me the most is the red spots on her knuckles from being burned by stomach acid. Clearly, she's practiced this a few times.


It turns out that everyone was correct!
posted by -harlequin- at 2:27 PM on June 18, 2011


I'm reminded of when I was, eh 25 and puking was art in that it challenged my perceptions of how smart it was to drink so much in such a short time.

I'm not sure art is the right term, though. Maybe ... empirical philosophy. Yeh, that's the ticket.
posted by Twang at 3:10 PM on June 18, 2011 [1 favorite]


Lady Gag. That is all.
posted by chavenet at 3:12 PM on June 18, 2011


I find her art quite reflexive.
posted by prinado at 4:54 PM on June 18, 2011


The real art comes with what, and where, the banner ads load:

"Barf Art. Banana Republic. Love your style."
posted by evidenceofabsence at 5:17 PM on June 18, 2011


Here comes the poop art next.
posted by Flex1970 at 5:53 PM on June 18, 2011




Only puke smells like puke.
posted by drjimmy11 at 12:40 AM on June 19, 2011


I like to dry-heave onto, well, nothing. And that's art.

Profit.
posted by XhaustedProphet at 1:49 AM on June 19, 2011


Bulimia is art now? Great message.

A lot of people might claim that alcoholism isn't art, but a long list of well-respected writers might disagree ...
posted by krinklyfig at 5:32 AM on June 19, 2011 [1 favorite]


yeah just um... no.
posted by herbplarfegan at 8:37 PM on June 19, 2011


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