Michel Journiac
Encyclopedia
Michel Journiac was one of the founders of the 1960s and 1970s Body Art
movement in France
, called "Art corporel". During these years, many artists started to use the human body
as their material. Accordingly, this artist used his own body to perform ritual
s which he documented through photography
or video
. His work can be compared to those of Vito Acconci
, French artist Gina Pane
or Austrian artists of the Viennese Actionism
.
It was through his photographic works, his actions and installations, that Michel Journiac, a gay
man
, attacked society's stereotype
s, defended those who existed outside of daily society, and challenged tradition
al moral
values.
His most famous action is probably Messe pour un corps (Mass for a Body) (1969) a parody of catholic liturgy where he officiated as a priest, offering the audience pieces of blood sausage made with his own blood.
Michel Journiac also wrote two poetry books, Le Sang nu (Naked Blood) (1968) and Délit du corps (Crime of the Body) (1978) and many articles, especially in French art journal ArTitudes
.
Messe pour un corps (Mass for a Body), performance, 1969
Hommage à freud (Tribute to Freude), photographic series, 1972
Piège pour un travesti (Trap for a Transvestite), photographic series, 1972
Contrat de prostitution (Prostitution Contrac), installation, 1973
24 heures de la vie d’une femme ordinaire ( 24 Hours in the Life of an Ordinary Woman), photographic series, 1974
L’inceste (The Incest), photographic series, 1975
Rituel de transmutation (Transmutation Ritual), performance, photography1993
Body art
Body art is art made on, with, or consisting of, the human body. The most common forms of body art are tattoos and body piercings, but other types include scarification, branding, scalpelling, shaping , full body tattoo and body painting.More extreme body art can involve things such as mutilation...
movement in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, called "Art corporel". During these years, many artists started to use the human body
Human body
The human body is the entire structure of a human organism, and consists of a head, neck, torso, two arms and two legs.By the time the human reaches adulthood, the body consists of close to 100 trillion cells, the basic unit of life...
as their material. Accordingly, this artist used his own body to perform ritual
Ritual
A ritual is a set of actions, performed mainly for their symbolic value. It may be prescribed by a religion or by the traditions of a community. The term usually excludes actions which are arbitrarily chosen by the performers....
s which he documented through photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
or video
Video
Video is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion.- History :...
. His work can be compared to those of Vito Acconci
Vito Acconci
Vito Hannibal Acconci is a Bronx, New York-born, Brooklyn-based designer, landscape architect, performance and installation artist.-Education:...
, French artist Gina Pane
Gina Pane
Gina Pane..... was a French artist. She was one of the founders of the 1970s Body Art movement in France, called "Art corporel". Pane was best known for her performance piece The Conditioning which was recreated by Marina Abramovic as part of her 7 easy pieces in 2005....
or Austrian artists of the Viennese Actionism
Viennese Actionism
The term Viennese Actionism describes a short and violent movement in 20th century art that can be regarded as part of the many independent efforts of the 1960s to develop "action art" . Its main participants were Günter Brus, Otto Mühl, Hermann Nitsch and Rudolf Schwarzkogler. As "actionists",...
.
It was through his photographic works, his actions and installations, that Michel Journiac, a gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
man
Man
The term man is used for an adult human male . However, man is sometimes used to refer to humanity as a whole...
, attacked society's stereotype
Stereotype
A stereotype is a popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused with many other different meanings...
s, defended those who existed outside of daily society, and challenged tradition
Tradition
A tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes , but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings...
al moral
Morality
Morality is the differentiation among intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are good and bad . A moral code is a system of morality and a moral is any one practice or teaching within a moral code...
values.
His most famous action is probably Messe pour un corps (Mass for a Body) (1969) a parody of catholic liturgy where he officiated as a priest, offering the audience pieces of blood sausage made with his own blood.
Michel Journiac also wrote two poetry books, Le Sang nu (Naked Blood) (1968) and Délit du corps (Crime of the Body) (1978) and many articles, especially in French art journal ArTitudes
ArTitudes
ArTitudes was a French art magazine established in 1971 by art critic François Pluchart. It had a decisive role in the development and diffusion of Body Art in France...
.
Selected works
Piège pour un voyeur (Trap for a Voyeur), installation, 1969Messe pour un corps (Mass for a Body), performance, 1969
Hommage à freud (Tribute to Freude), photographic series, 1972
Piège pour un travesti (Trap for a Transvestite), photographic series, 1972
Contrat de prostitution (Prostitution Contrac), installation, 1973
24 heures de la vie d’une femme ordinaire ( 24 Hours in the Life of an Ordinary Woman), photographic series, 1974
L’inceste (The Incest), photographic series, 1975
Rituel de transmutation (Transmutation Ritual), performance, photography1993