Chris Burden: Performance and Installation Art

Chris Burden (1946–2015) was a groundbreaking American artist renowned for his provocative performance art in the 1970s and later for his monumental, technically ambitious installation art and sculptures. His work consistently explored the boundaries of art, challenging perceptions of personal danger, societal power, and the material world. Students studying contemporary art, particularly performance and installation, will find Burden's work a pivotal subject, characterized by intense physical and conceptual explorations.

Understanding Chris Burden: Performance Art Pioneer

Burden's early work, especially from the 1970s, established him as a radical and uncompromising figure. He pursued art that could not be easily bought or sold, often putting his own body at risk to reflect the violent and precarious realities of contemporary life, particularly during the Vietnam War era. He earned his MFA in 1971 from the University of California, Irvine, where he studied under conceptual artist Robert Irwin.

Key Performance Art Pieces and Their Meanings

Burden's performances frequently involved endurance, pain, and psychological tension, pushing both his own limits and the audience's comfort. These works were often documented through film and photography, making them iconic:

• Five Day Locker Piece (1971): For his master's thesis, Burden locked himself in a school locker for five days, drinking water from a bottle above and urinating into one below. This piece explored self-imposed confinement and endurance.
• Shoot (1971): Perhaps his most famous performance, Burden arranged for a friend to shoot him in the left arm from fifteen feet away with a.22 rifle. Lasting only eight seconds, this act aimed to confront the pervasive violence in American society, with Burden stating, “I had an intuitive sense that being shot is as American as apple pie.”
• Deadman (1972): Burden lay on the ground covered by a canvas and road flares until bystanders assumed he was dead and called emergency services, leading to his arrest. This piece questioned public perception and reaction.
• TV Hijack (1972): During a live televised interview, Burden held a knife to the host's throat, threatening to kill her if the station stopped transmission. He later destroyed the recording. This controversial act explored media manipulation and control.
• 747 (1973): Burden fired pistol shots at a Boeing 747 passenger jet as it took off from Los Angeles International Airport, witnessed by a single photographer. This work examined acts of aggression and scale.
• Trans-Fixed (1974): In Venice, California, Burden was nailed, as if crucified, to the roof of a Volkswagen Beetle, which was then revved for two minutes. This piece used religious imagery to evoke suffering and sacrifice.
• Doomed (1975): Burden lay motionless in a museum gallery for 45 hours and 10 minutes until a museum employee intervened, placing water within his reach, thus ending the piece. This challenged institutional boundaries and the sanctity of art.

Chris Burden's Installation Art and Later Sculptures

By the late 1970s, Burden began to move away from body-based performances, focusing instead on monumental sculptures and intricate installations. These later works continued to explore themes of power, speed, balance, and the material world, often incorporating industrial materials and engineering feats.

Evolution into Large-Scale Artistic Creations

Burden's later career saw him developing complex, large-scale projects that required significant engineering and construction. His shift marked a new phase where the spectacle derived from the sheer scale and mechanical ingenuity of the artwork itself.

• The Big Wheel (1979): A kinetic work where a 1968 Benelli motorcycle on a wooden frame was attached to a large, nineteenth-century metal flywheel. When the motorcycle was revved, it set the flywheel into powerful motion, transforming energy into spectacle.
• A Tale of Two Cities (1981): A room-filling miniature reconstruction of two warring city-states, incorporating 5,000 war toys, model buildings, and antique soldiers on a large sand base. This explored geopolitical conflicts and childhood fantasies.
• All the Submarines of the United States of America (1987): Composed of 625 identical, handmade cardboard models representing the entire US submarine fleet. Suspended from the ceiling, they appeared as a school of fish, commenting on military might and scale.
• Samson (1988): A 100-ton hydraulic jack connected to a turnstile that rammed timbers into the museum's supporting walls with each guest's entry, threatening to collapse the building if enough people entered. This piece highlighted institutional fragility and public participation.
• Medusa’s Head (1990): An amorphous mass of wood, steel, cement, and model railroad trains and tracks, appearing as a rocky planet hanging from a chain. This work showcased complex construction and imaginative worlds.
• The Flying Steamroller (1996): A large steamroller suspended by steel and concrete, demonstrating a playful manipulation of heavy machinery.
• When Robots Rule: The Two Minute Airplane Factory (1999): An assembly line that manufactured rubber-band-powered model airplanes, which were then launched to fly around the gallery. This explored automation and creativity.
• Urban Light (2008): A celebrated permanent installation at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), consisting of 202 fully restored Los Angeles cast-iron streetlamps from the 1920s, illuminated at dusk. It became an iconic landmark.
• Metropolis II (2006–10): An intricate kinetic sculpture featuring 1,100 custom-manufactured toy cars zooming through a complex system of tracks, roads, and buildings. It captures the frenetic energy of a modern city.
• What My Dad Gave Me (2008): A 65-foot-tall skyscraper made of one million Erector set parts, temporarily installed at Rockefeller Center in New York City.
• Porsche With Meteorite (2013): A restored 1974 Porsche sports car perfectly balanced against a 390-pound meteorite on a telescoping beam, exploring concepts of balance and gravity.
• Ode to Santos-Dumont (2015): Burden's last completed work, a kinetic airship modeled after Alberto Santos-Dumont’s 1901 dirigible, designed for indoor flight. This piece embodies industrial invention and childhood wonder.

Analyzing Chris Burden's Artistic Legacy and Impact

Chris Burden's work profoundly influenced contemporary art by pushing the boundaries of what art could be. His relentless questioning of societal norms, personal safety, and institutional structures has left an indelible mark.

Themes and Characteristics in Burden's Art

Burden's oeuvre is characterized by several recurring themes and artistic approaches:

• Risk and Vulnerability: Especially in his early performances, Burden used his own body as a medium to explore physical and psychological limits, often invoking danger.
• Critique of Society and Power: Many works indirectly or directly commented on violence, media manipulation, and political control.
• Scale and Engineering: His later installations often featured monumental scale and complex mechanical systems, transforming everyday objects or engineering principles into art.
• Audience Engagement: Whether through direct participation, implied threat, or immersive experience, Burden's art often positioned the audience in a critical relationship with the work.
• Exploration of Unfinished Projects: Poetic Practical: The Unrealized Work of Chris Burden highlights many visionary projects that remained incomplete at the time of his death, further demonstrating his boundless imagination.

Exhibitions and Collections Featuring Chris Burden

Burden's work has been featured in major exhibitions globally, including