Then came Marina Abramovic‘s turn who duly had this author fascinated. As one of the leading performance artists in the modern landscape she was in her own way performing- stunning us with her beauty, stunning us with the mobility of her first foray to the diabolical:
“I had just done of my first shows, this was in 1975, and I was excited, and feeling liberated. Then I decided to return home only to find my mother dressed in a type of double breast suit shaking violently, not a word being said,, staring at the wall. I paused and asked her what had happened- she responded the neighbors had spent the whole morning talking about my performance- how I had been hanging from the rafters- stark naked.”
Huge applause ensued…
From there other distinguished artists were honored, including Richard Armstrong– Guggenheim’s director, Elizabeth Baker– editor of Art in America from 1974- 2008, Bomb’s current editor at large. Honored as well was author Francine Prose, who has written 15 novels, who has also been a finalist for the National Book Award in 2000. Aside fiction work, Ms Prose has also written non fiction works focusing on the work of Caravaggio, Anne Frank and is now a distinguished writer in residence at Bard College.
