Week 7-Art Intervention

An art intervention is an interruption, either to a public space or another work of art, designed to draw attention to a specific idea.  As an invasive act, an art intervention is often seen as a protest or objection; a negative commentary on the object being intruded upon.  Depending on context and point of view, art intervention can also be considered vandalism.

Sometimes these interventions are organized and sanctioned.  Permission is given to use space, or manipulate existing works of art.  When an intervention is an unsanctioned act with trespassing and defacement of property, this is when the law gets involved, charges are pressed, people go to jail etc.

An intervention can itself be intervened upon, which just makes me think of this:

As I was reading about this concept, I was reminded of Soy Bomb.  Michael Portnoy was a dancer hired to kind of sluggishly bop around behind Bob Dylan as he performed during the 1998 Grammy Awards.  Instead of blandly snapping his fingers and swaying his shoulders, Portnoy decided this was an excellent opportunity to inject "transformational, explosive life" into the music industry.  Like a lithe incredible Hulk, he shredded his clothes and delivered a convulsive, dance/seizure routine on a nationally televised broadcast:

My book entry on the topic is a drawing of Shakespeare I did on top of a Batman comic book.  Shakespeare is intruding upon one work of art to entreat the viewer to engage with an alternative work of art.  He's also being a real dick about it.