Critical Writing Index

San Francisco

by Jerome Tarshis

Artforum, Feb. 1971, v. 9, no. 6, pp. 85-87

A brief review of a video exhibition entitled "Body Works" organized by Willoughby Sharp, which premiered in South America before traveling to Breen's Bar in San Francisco for a screening on 18 October, 1970. Videos predicated on the body of the artist were shown on a TV above the bar to a large crowd of "conceptual artists, assorted hairy freaks, and expensively dressed art-lovers." The reviewer describes each video in detail, highlighting the durational and visceral challenges presented by the pieces, concluding that while the work is conceptually interesting, it is "hell to sit through."

ITEM 1971.002 – available for viewing in the Research Centre

Videos, Artworks and Artists Cited

Levitation PieceTerry Fox

Vito Acconci

Keith Sonnier

Bruce Nauman

Dennis Oppenheim

William Wegman