ART? or BEGGING?

Man kneeling and stooped over begging
Photo CAT

If you happen to be in Sydney CBD during the day, you may have come across this man begging. Always kneeling…arms outstretched with a baseball cap for collecting money. As the day goes along he stoops over and by the evening his head is lowered, still keeling but with his bum resting on his feet. Confronting, disturbing and pathetic at the same time this guy makes me feel uneasy but yet strangely captivating. I have never plucked up the courage to speak to him but so many questions go through my head.

Laden with heavy Catholic symbolism, I wondered if this was some kind of endurance art.

Endurance art - An artistic expression through acts of physical pain, trauma, survival or deprivation.

Tehching Hsieh, a well known endurance artist's 1978 performance statement is as follows

STATEMENT

I, Sam Hseigh, plan to do a one year performance piece, to begin on September 30, 1979.

I shall seal myself in my studio, in solitary confinement inside a cell-room measuring 11’6” x 9’ x 8’

I shall NOT converse, read, write, listen to the radio or watch television, until I unseal myself on September 29, 1979.

I shall have food everyday.

My friend, Cheng Wei Kuong, will facilitate this piece by taking charge of my food, clothing and refuse.

Sam Hseigh


Tehching Hsieh in his cell.
Photo: Cheng Wei Kuong

Is the begging man performing endurance art?
I want to know about him. But my own inhibitions stop me from doing so.
His style doesn’t necessarily lend for conversation.
Maybe that’s how he wants it to be.
May be he is saying some thing about us by our inability to engage with him.
Or he is pshycologically damaged and needs help.
Maybe it is his trade mark begging style.
May be is an artist.
Or is this him 'working' for his money - a hard days labour.
Is it displaced religious convictions playing out in a macabre way.
Maybe he is simply poor and just begging.
What do you all think?
Iam confused.

For other readings on performance endurance art please refer to

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2010/mar/19/art-marina-abramovic-moma
http://www.one-year-performance.com/