From the moment you are born, you could die. I think as an artist it is important to meditate on that.
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes the transient nature of life and the importance of reflecting on mortality as an artist.
Marina Abramovic's quote suggests that the awareness of our own mortality can profoundly influence an artist's work. By acknowledging that life is fleeting from the moment we are born, artists can cultivate a deeper connection to their creative expression, drawing on the understanding that each moment is precious and worthy of contemplation. This reflection can lead to a more profound and impactful artistic experience, as it underscores the urgency and significance of their creations.
In practice
During an art exhibition discussing the meaning of life and death.
All the aggressive actions I do to myself I would never dream of doing in my own life - I am not this kind of person. I cry if I cut myself peeling potatoes. I am taking the plane, there is turbulence, I am shaking. In performance, I become, somehow, like not a mortal.
I hate studio. For me, studio is a trap to overproduce and repeat yourself. It is a habit that leads to art pollution.
The function of the artist in a disturbed society is to give awareness of the universe, to ask the right questions, and to elevate the mind.
First of all, to do performance art, you really have to give 100 percent. I only know that I have to give 100 percent and then what happens, happens.
Theatre is fake... The knife is not real, the blood is not real, and the emotions are not real. Performance is just the opposite: the knife is real, the blood is real, and the emotions are real.
I want people to come to me open and vulnerable. When they come to the gallery, they have to leave their watches, their computers, their Blackberrys, iPads, iPhones, because we are so incredibly used to technology, and I wanted to remove that.
Tip the world over on its side and everything loose will land in Los Angeles.
No art is less spontaneous than mine. What I do is the result of reflection and the study of the great masters.
We rode on the winds of the rising storm, We ran to the sounds of the thunder. We danced among the lightning bolts, and tore the world asunder.
I am interested in the physicality of light itself.
If I've done my work well, I vanish completely from the scene. I believe it is invasive of the work when you know too much about the writer.
I believe more in the scissors than I do in the pencil.
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