Who is Marina Abramovic and Why am I Obsessed with Her?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9-HVwEbdCo

Click on link to watch performacne this still is from.

This is a piece called "Rhythm 10"

Marina Abramovic was born in Yugoslavia in 1946. She uses her body to create her art and claims to "test the physical and spiritual limits of herself through her art" with the focus on Transformation of body, mind and soul. She has cut herself for a performance, caught on fire, sat cleaning 1500 cattle bones with her bare hands in front of her audience, entwined herself in snakes, masturbated beneath the stage. She began performing in the 70's and for several years performed in tandem with her lover, a German named Ulay (for example an exhibit called: Breathe In/Breathe Out, where the two sat cross-legged in front of each other and breathed in and out of each others mouths, never refreshing the breath, until they passed out).

In the sixth season of Sex and the City they referenced her exhibit House with an Ocean View she had performed in 2002 in NYC, fasting and living in full view of the public (including showers and toilet) for twelve days with no break. This performance won her the New York Dance and Performance Award. In 2005 she performed for seven days at The Guggenheim, a series of performances by other artists she admired. She performed their works with their permission. For the list: http://www.guggenheim.org/exhibitions/abramovic/