Live: Art and Performance

Published by Tate Publishing, 2004

26.8 cm x 21 cm, 256 pages, paperback with colour images throughout

Trade Orders: Tate Publishing

Live, or Performance, Art is one of the most controversial and hotly discussed areas of art practice to emerge in the second half of the twentieth century. The history of Live Art is one of challenge to audiences, art traditions and cultural values. With elements of performance now part of the practice of many of today’s best-known artists, and boundaries between visual art, theatre and Live Art more and more blurred, this collection is long overdue.

Leading artists and thinkers assess the relevance of Live Art now, its impact within the visual arts and the broader cultural sphere. Hugo Glendinning’s stunning colour photographs of performance events are combined with numerous essays examining the political, philosophical and cultural resonances of the work of a diverserange of international Live artists, both historical and contemporary.

Accessible, critically astute and expansive, Live is an indispensable resource for all those with an interest in some of the most vibrant and contested issues in art today.

Contributing artists: Marina Abramovic, Ron Athey, Franko B, Bobby Baker, Lucy Baldwyn, Michele Barrett, Jérôme Bel, Romeo Castellucci, Brian Catling, Oron Catts, Julie Clark, Ricardo Dominguez, Tim Etchells, Jean Fisher, Forced Entertainment, Goat Island, RoseLee Goldberg, Guillermo Gómez-Peña, Matthew Goulish, Lin Hixson, Amelia Jones, Joe Kelleher, Yu Yeon Kim, Oleg Kulik, Andre Lepecki, Alastair MacLennan, Hayley Newman, Peggy Phelan, William Pope.L, Andrew Quick, Alan Read, La Ribot, Henry M. Sayre, Stelarc.

“Beautiful, intellectually interesting and engaging. The essays are excellent, varied and well-informed.”
Performance Research, 2004

“Serious essays by some of the best writers in the field, and it is clear navigable and extensive”
Performance Research, 2005

Adrian Heathfield writes on and curates performance. He is a Principal Research Fellow in Performance, at the School of Art and Design, Nottingham Trent University.

Live: Art and Performance is a Live Art Development Agency initiative published by Tate Publishing.

Live: Art and Performance was launched as part of Activations at Tate Modern on 2 October 2004.