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Jesus as a (performance) artist.

There are many ways to understand Jesus, both outside of institutional religion and within it. If I look at my bookshelves I can see:

Jesus the Pharisee Jesus the Sage The Sage from Galilee Jesus the Village Psychiatrist Jesus the Magician Jesus the Sorcerer Secular Christ Jesus was a Jew Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus Jesus the Jewish Theologian The Yoga of Jesus. Yeshua: A Guide to the Real Jesus. The Secret Message of Jesus.

Plus many books bearing Jesus in the title, but without any particular focus.

All of these books are scholarly and insightful explorations of the New Testament texts which arrive at a particular understanding of Jesus. Some are more convincing than others. Of course there are many others which I haven’t bought or read. E.g. Jesus as a liberator or Jesus as an exorcist. There are also countless books on Jesus which propose a Jesus that doesn’t fit the gospel accounts, and which I have ignored.

“The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour”. Luke 4.18-19

So Jesus declares his mission: By word and deed, by miracle and exorcism, by healing and teaching Jesus proclaims the Kingdom and invites his listeners to respond. If we want to understand more about the Kingdom we need to read and understand the Gospels, and then make a commitment. Then we find that everything falls into place.

What I suggest in this essay is that there is a modern model for the methodology of Jesus, which encompasses most of the descriptions listed above. It makes Jesus more comprehensible to the modern mind. It looks at the “how” rather than the “what” of Jesus’ mission.

I propose to use the concept of “Performance Art” as an umbrella term, to include other similar concepts like Street Theatre, Agit Prop, Political Theatre, Live Art and Intervention Art. All these art forms are inter-related so the terminology isn’t precise. However a brief over-view should draw out the essential elements which I wish to focus upon. (Almost all the information is from Wikipedia.)

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Performance Art

By 1970, Performance Art was a global term, and its definition a bit more specific. "Performance Art" meant that it was live, and it was art, not theatre. Performance Art also meant that it was art that could not be bought, sold or traded as a commodity. Actually, the latter sentence is of major importance. Performance artists saw (and see) the movement as a means of taking their art directly to a public forum, thus completely eliminating the need for galleries, agents, brokers, tax accountants and any other aspect of capitalism. It's a sort of social commentary on the purity of art.

The 1970s also saw the heyday of "Body Art" (an offshoot of Performance Art), which began in the 1960s. In Body Art, the artist's own flesh (or the flesh of others) is the canvas. Body Art can range from covering volunteers with blue paint and then having them writhe on a canvas, to self-mutilation in front of an audience. (Body Art is often disturbing, as you may well imagine.)

Additionally, the 1970s saw the rise of the autobiography being incorporated into a performance piece. This kind of story-telling is much more entertaining to most people than, say, seeing someone shot with a gun. (This actually happened, in a Body Art piece, in Venice, California, in 1971.) The autobiographical pieces are also a great platform for presenting one's views on social causes or issues.

What are the characteristics of Performance Art?

• Performance Art is live.

• Performance Art has no rules or guidelines. It is art because the artist says it is art. It is experimental.

• Performance Art is not for sale. It may, however, sell admission tickets and film rights.

• Performance Art may be comprised of painting or sculpture (or both), dialogue, poetry, music, dance, opera, film footage, turned on television sets, laser lights, live animals and fire. Or all of the above. There are as many variables as there are artists.

• Performance Art is a legitimate artistic movement. It has longevity (some performance artists, in fact, have rather large bodies of work).

• Dada, Futurism, the Bauhaus and the Black Mountain College all inspired and helped pave the way for Performance Art.

• Performance Art is closely related to Conceptual Art. Both Fluxus and Body Art are types of Performance Art.

• Performance Art may be entertaining, amusing, shocking or horrifying. No matter which adjective applies, it is meant to be memorable.

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Performance art refers largely to a performance which is presented to an audience but which does not seek to present a conventional theatrical play or a formal linear narrative, or which alternately does not seek to depict a set of fictitious characters in formal scripted interactions. It therefore will often include some form of action or spoken word which is a form of direct communication between the artist and audience, rather than a script written beforehand.

It often entails a dramatic performer who is directly aware of and in communication with the audience, much the same as a singer or juggler in a concert or variety show might be said to perform directly for an audience, rather than creating a fictitious character who inhabits a fictitious dramatic setting on the stage. Performance art often breaks the fourth wall, meaning that the performance artist does not seek to behave as if unaware of the audience.

Performance art is a term usually reserved to refer to a more conceptual art which conveys a content-based meaning in a more drama-related sense, rather than being simple performance for its own sake for entertainment purposes. Furthermore, performance art can include any type of physical stage performance.

Street theatre

Street theatre is a form of theatrical performance and presentation in outdoor public spaces without a specific paying audience. These spaces can be anywhere, including shopping centres, car parks, recreational reserves and street corners. They are especially seen in outdoor spaces where there are large numbers of people. The actors who perform street theatre range from buskers to organised theatre companies.

Street theatre is arguably the oldest form of theatre in existence: most mainstream entertainment mediums can be traced back to origins in street performing, including religious passion plays and many other forms.

The logistics of doing street theatre necessitate simple costumes and props, and generally there is little or no amplification of sound, with actors depending on their natural vocal and physical ability. This issue with sound has meant that physical theatre, including dance, mime and slapstick, is a very popular genre in an outdoor setting. The performances need to be highly visible, loud and simple to follow in order to attract a crowd.

One of the most interesting points about modern street theatre is its unique sociopolitical place. People who might not have ever been to, or been able to afford to go to, the "legitimate" theatre can watch a street show. By virtue of where the shows take place, their audience is made up of anyone and everyone who wants to watch. If an audience member can not afford it, then it is free.

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Agitprop

Agitprop is derived from the terms agitation and propaganda. The term originated in Soviet Russia. The term propaganda in the Russian language did not bear any negative connotation at the time. It simply meant "dissemination of ideas". In the case of agitprop, the ideas to be disseminated were those of communism, including explanations of the policy of the Communist Party and the Soviet state. In other contexts, propaganda could mean dissemination of any kind of beneficial knowledge, e.g., of new methods in agriculture. Agitation meant urging people to do what Soviet leaders expected them to do; again, at various levels. In other words, propaganda was supposed to act on the mind, while agitation acted on emotions, although both usually went together, thus giving rise to the cliché "propaganda and agitation".

Gradually the term agitprop came to describe any kind of highly politicized art.

Political theatre

In the history of theatre, there is long tradition of performances addressing issues of current events and central to society itself, encouraging consciousness and social change. The political satire performed by the comic poets at the theatres, had considerable influence on public opinion in the Athenian democracy. Those earlier Western dramas, arising out of the polis, or democratic city-state of Greek society, were performed in amphitheatres, central arenas used for theatrical performances, religious ceremonies and political gatherings; these dramas had a ritualistic and social significance that enhanced the relevance of the political issues being examined.

Often political theatre has been used to promote specific political theories or ideals, for example in the way agitprop theatre has been used to further Marxism and the development of communist sympathies.

John McGrath, founder of the Scottish popular theatre company 7:84, argued that "the theatre can never 'cause' a social change. It can articulate pressure towards one, help people celebrate their strengths and maybe build their self-confidence… Above all, it can be the way people find their voice, their solidarity and their collective determination".

Live Art:

"Live Art can be defined as "art work that broadly embraces ephemeral, time-based, visual and performing arts events that include a human presence and broaden, challenge or question traditional views of the arts".

Art intervention:

An art intervention is an interaction with a previously existing artwork, audience or venue/space. It has the auspice of conceptual art and is commonly a form of performance art. It is associated with the Viennese Actionists, the Dada movement and Neo-Dadaists. It has also been made much use of by the Stuckists to affect perceptions of other artwork which they oppose, and as a protest against an existing intervention.

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Intervention can also refer to art which enters a situation outside the art world in an attempt to change the existing conditions there. For example, intervention art may attempt to change economic or political situations, or may attempt to make people aware of a condition that they previously had no knowledge of. Since these goals mean that intervention art necessarily addresses and engages with the public, some artists call their work "public interventions".

In terms of the characteristics of these art forms, I have selected the following as being applicable to the historical Jesus:

Performance artists saw (and see) the movement as a means of taking their art directly to a public forum, thus completely eliminating the need for agents, brokers, any other intermediary. It's a sort of social commentary on the purity of art.

Mark 12:14-17 

14 They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay or shouldn’t we?” But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” 16 They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they replied.  17 Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” And they were amazed at him.

Matthew 4:23-24 

 23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them.

In Body Art, the artist's own flesh (or the flesh of others) is the canvas.

Matthew 9:21 

21 She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”

Matthew 14:35-36 

35 And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him 36 and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.

Matthew 26:47-27:66

Jesus’ arrest, trial and crucifixion.

The use of the autobiography being incorporated into a performance piece. This kind of story-telling is much more entertaining to most people than simply being provocative. The autobiographical pieces are also a great platform for presenting one's views on social causes or issues.

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John 14:8-12 

8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”  9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. 12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

Performance Art has no rules or guidelines. It is art because the artist says it is art. It is experimental.

John 5:19-20 

 19 Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed.

Performance Art may be entertaining, amusing, shocking or horrifying. No matter which adjective applies, it is meant to be memorable.

Mark 14:22-25 

 22 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.”  23 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it.   24 “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” he said to them. 25 “Truly I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

Luke 11:14-16 

 14 Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed. 15 But some of them said, “By Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons.” 16 Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven.

It therefore will often include some form of action or spoken word which is a form of direct communication between the artist and audience, rather than a script written beforehand.

Mark 2:8-12 

 8 Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? 9 Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? 10 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, 11 “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 12 He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

Matthew 11:28-30 

   28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

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It often entails a dramatic performer who is directly aware of and in communication with the audience.

Matthew 14:15-21 

 15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”  16 Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”  17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.    18 “Bring them here to me,” he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Matthew 5:44-45 

44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

This issue with sound has meant that physical theatre, including dance, mime and slapstick, is a very popular genre in an outdoor setting. The performances need to be highly visible, loud and simple to follow in order to attract a crowd.

Matthew 4:25 

25 Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.

Mark 3:9 

9 Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him.

Matthew 5:1-2 

 1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.

One of the most interesting points about modern street theatre is its unique sociopolitical place.

Matthew 16:6 

6 “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

Matthew 23:27-28 

   27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

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Matthew 26:4-5 

4 and they schemed to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. 5 “But not during the festival,” they said, “or there may be a riot among the people.”

By virtue of where the shows take place, their audience is made up of anyone and everyone who wants to watch.

Mark 2:1-12 

 1 A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2 They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on.

Mark 1:38-39 

 38 Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” 39 So he travelled throughout Galilee, preaching in their village assemblies and driving out demons.

In other words, propaganda was supposed to act on the mind, while agitation acted on emotions, although both usually went together, thus giving rise to the cliché "propaganda and agitation".

Matthew 7:24 

    24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

Luke 6:43-45

    43 “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thorn bushes, or grapes from briers. 45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

John 5:24 

   24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.

Often political theatre has been used to promote specific political theories or ideals, for example in the way agitprop theatre has been used to further Marxism and the development of communist sympathies.

Matthew 19:24 

24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

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Luke 6:20-31 

 20 Looking at his disciples, he said:

   “Blessed are you who are poor,    for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed are you who hunger now,    for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now,    for you will laugh. 22 Blessed are you when people hate you,    when they exclude you and insult you    and reject your name as evil,       because of the Son of Man.

   23 “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.

   24 “But woe to you who are rich,    for you have already received your comfort. 25 Woe to you who are well fed now,    for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now,    for you will mourn and weep. 26 Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you,    for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.

"The theatre can never 'cause' a social change. It can articulate pressure towards one, help people celebrate their strengths and maybe build their self-confidence… Above all, it can be the way people find their voice, their solidarity and their collective determination".

Matthew 6:33 

33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Matthew 5:3-12 

 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn,    for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek,    for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,    for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful,    for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart,    for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers,    for they will be called children of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Intervention art may attempt to change economic or political situations, or may attempt to make people aware of a condition that they previously had no knowledge of. Since these goals mean that intervention art necessarily addresses and engages with the public, some artists call their work "public interventions".

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Matthew 12:1-8 

 1 At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. 2 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.”

 3 He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. 5 Or haven’t you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are innocent? 6 I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. 7 If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

Mark 11:15-18 

 15 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’

 18 The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.

Luke 10:30-37

 30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he travelled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’   36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”  37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”    Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

What might we gain from looking at Jesus as a street performer or a performance artist or some form of agitator? I suggest it serves to bring Jesus into the contemporary world. Like most people I’ve seen street theatre of various descriptions over the years. Indeed, it is a common experience to go shopping in a city centre only to be surprised by some artistic performance in the market square. All sorts of feelings can be evoked: amusement, pleasure, incomprehension, annoyance and more. No doubt the crowds around Jesus had mixed reactions as well.

It is often difficult to visualise Jesus in Galilee speaking to crowds, arguing with scribes and healing individuals. But experiencing performance art gives us a taste of what it may have felt like to individuals in the crowd. You may be entertained, whilst others complain, ignore the performance or even become abusive.

The Ignatian method of meditation also tries to “bring to life” gospel encounters. You are encouraged to visualize the biblical scene and become one of the characters. By imaginatively placing yourself in the “action”, you come to understand more of the story. However, unlike experiencing a live performance artist, you have to rely on your own imagination rather than remember an actual event.

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The Gospels present us with a positive response to Jesus from the peasants, but a critical reaction from the establishment both religious and political. By using our own experiences we can add depth to the gospel encounters between Jesus and the crowds.

I would also suggest that the model of Jesus as a performance artist might provide some pointers to evangelism. The caricature of the soap-box evangelist is often true to life. He does not speak “to” the people but “at” them. He has his script and wants to make sure he gets his message across. Discussion and debate are deviations from his script, and often unwelcomed. Jesus presents a different picture of someone engaging his audience and skilfully handling antagonism and invective. “He spoke as one who had authority” was a frequent response. We could learn much from his example.