Bodily Functions as Subject Matter

Corporeal functions can be found in shocking contemporary art objects as well as traditional Christian narratives. Join artist and art historian Marcy B. Freedman for a lecture on bodily fluids and the ways they help the public view the nature of art and its role in society. In 1961, Italian artist Piero Manzoni filled 90 cans with some of his own feces - 30 grams per can. He then insisted that each can be priced according to the comparable cost of 30 grams of gold. This is just one of the fascinating stories that Freedman will share as she discusses the presence of urine, feces, blood, breast milk, and semen in western art – literally and figuratively.