Body
Fluids In Art
A relatively new trend in contemporary
art is
to use body fluids in art, though there have been rarer uses of
blood (and perhaps feces) for quite some time.Examples include:
The controversial Piss Christ (1987), by Andres
Serrano, which is a photograph of a crucifix submerged in urine.
;
Self (1991, recast 1996) by Marc Quinn, a frozen cast of the artist's
head made entirely of his own blood;
Piss Flowers, by Helen Chadwick (1991-92), are twelve white-enamelled
bronzes cast from cavities made by urinating in snow;
Many paintings by Chris Ofili, which make use of elephant dung
(from 1992).
Hermann Nitsch and Das Orgien Mysterien Theatre use urine, feces,
blood and more in their ritual performances.
Criticism
Many conservatives have criticised this development in art as being
immoral and depraved. They argue that it is not worthy of being
called "art" and has no aesthetic value. They argue
it is designed to oppose traditional morals and values.They
also find the combination of bodily fluids with religious symbols
(such as in Piss Christ) to be blasphemous.
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