Chris Burden was an American artist most notably known for his performance art. He passed away in 2015. Similar to Marina Abromović, Chris Burden liked to push the body to its limits in his work. Trans-Fixed and Shoot are two such works that push Burden’s own body to physical limits.
Chris mentions seeing people getting shot on TV in Vietnam during the time of the Vietnam War as one of the inspirations for Shoot. The reference to the Vietnam War definitely makes Shoot political, and I am curious as to whether the performance makes any additional commentaries that I’m not thinking. Trans-Fixed clearly references the crucifixion of Jesus, but some think it may also be a reminder that Volkswagen was created by Nazi Germany.
