Danny Devos: 160 Performances


Steve in MuhMur, Sunday 27th May 2012, United Kingdom.


I am a notoriously slow reader. I am still reading the Tuxedomoon "Music For Vagabonds" book by Isabelle Corbisier, and I started that back in early March. It's a great book that not only has a main narrative but has side-stories, third party recollections and interviews running at the same time...it's like two books in one. Anyway, I broke off from the Tuxedomoon chronicles to read "160 Performances" by Danny Devos.
The book covers the performances of DDV from 1979-2011. Presented in a thick, hardback and hefty tome. 320 pages covering the great artists work. The introduction is in Belgian (naturally), and then carries two pages per performance. Quality documentation in text and photographs on quality paper. The book ends on an interview with Danny (thankfully in English) on "performance" art.
Danny Devos' work is body orientated - putting the mind and body to extreme limits - a lot of his work includes self harming...not all ~ but alot. To find where the mind and body goes by putting it to painful extremes, also reflecting on the audiences reaction is fascinating stuff.
The book also includes documentation of prank art and street art.

Essentially a coffee table book and like the Force Mental compendium that Club Moral put out last year, a book that can be devoured and then dipped into for pleasure.
I picked this book up at the Broken Flag: Never Say When weekend earlier in the month. A bargain at £49. Copies are available from Club Moral. Try www.performan.org the edition I have is limited to 979 copies.


More info on the Web


Related performances: Prelude to a Motorcycle Accident
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