Day 3 - Tarps in Arts

Dwelling, now, in a more recent past; artist Chris Burden performs Dead Man (1972) where the artist covers himself with a tarp lying in the road flanked by two flares. The flares would eventually burn out increasing the risk of the artist being run over by a car. the act confronts the viewer as they become witness to the spectacle the artist has created

Functionality of the tarps becomes blurred as the object is appropriated into a creative context. The tarps original function (to cover and, in some cases, protect) is crossed as the use of the tarp actually endangers what is within its cover. Here a paradox occurs and we see a new life forms out of one artists "materialization of an idea". Although this new life went un-noticed, its existence is anything but hoax!

-d