Orlan

Orlan is a French artist who began her art legacy by introducing the idea that the artist can be the art work. Some of her earlier work showed her posing with a physical frame, where her face and body appeared to be the "art work". Later on she began wearing masks and posing as if she was a sculpture. There seemed to always be this underlying idea that changing some small details of the physicality of a human can lead to an interesting and artistic expression.

After this, she did a collection of works where she took on the appearance of a Nun, but it was not your typical nun. To me, it seemed like a sexualized Nun, with her breast exposed. This made me this she was starting to lean towards the idea of playing with beauty and vanity in regards to physical attributes.

This probably lead to her experiments in body modification by way of plastic surgery. I found myself so shocked by this area of her artistry. To paint of draw something is one thing, but to permanently change your physical landscape is something that kind of freaks me out! I laud Orlan for her commitment to her art, but there seems a point where it may be too much. If you look at pictures of her now, she looks like the bride of Frankenstein with small bumps on her forehead that are reminiscent of horns.

If anything, Orlan should be respected for her radical views on what's physically appealing, and what it means to be an artist. She has definitely blurred the lines between the artist and their art work, and she should definitely be heralded for her audacity in the face of criticism.