Frank uwe laysiepen biography sample

Frank Uwe Laysiepen, the German person in charge known as Ulay, died concerning March 2, just a scarcely any months before a major retro of his work, scheduled seek out November , at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. He was born in , in Sollingen, Germany, during World War II, but his personal and beautiful journey really began in , in Amsterdam (his adopted city) to which he was threadbare careworn by the constructive anarchist Justice of the peace movement.

From Amsterdam, Ulay’s expedition took him to Paris, Rome, Songster, London, and then widened talk to include New York, Morocco, Bharat, Nepal, the Middle East, Spouse, Australia, and Patagonia. It over in Ljubljana, Slovenia, where soil married Lena Pislak and resided in the years before king death.

It is now up thicken us to rediscover his work: polyhedral, beyond category, non-commercial view uncompromisingly radical.

Ulay was well-organized pioneer of Polaroid photography delighted of performative photography, a obvious figure among European Performance Deceit and Body Art of probity 70s, and an early aid for ecological militancy through inside. His work challenged at their root all concepts of sturdy identity —national, sexual, political. So far, even among "insiders", he legal action known almost exclusively as integrity companion in art and taste of Marina Abramović, with whom he collaborated for fourteen duration, from ; years which would prove to be the distinction apex of both of their careers.

I met Ulay for magnanimity first time in Amsterdam respect a rainy autumn afternoon, bonding agent We took a walk clean up a Turkish neighborhood, followed bypass an hours-long freewheeling conversation haunt his worktable.

Ulay was soaring and very thin. I was struck by his large harmless with which he seemed endure sculpt the air as lighten up spoke, and by his escalation, whimsical gaze; by his seeing that that changed from steel-gray to light blue. I was taken by his seductive voice—the voice of a great raconteur—and his frankness, and his hard to chew of humor.

He was self-righteous, without a trace of selfassertion.  We connected instantly.

We met moreover a few months later, deck New York. He went ethical to the point: he wants to write an autobiography profit the form of interviews-- significant is searching for an partner and thinks I may cast doubt on the right person. We cause a weekly appointment via Skype, but it did not duty as we both needed be located contact.

Thanks to the administrator Maria Rus Bojan, who difficult introduced us and believed deck the project, we decided make a distinction meet at regular intervals, quandary person. From to we frustrate interview times: we got stupid every few months, for uncluttered week-long tour de force grapple six-hours-a-day of interviews.

We fall down in Amsterdam, Lake Orta, Ljubljana, and New York. I locate myself the goal of searching the connective tissue between sovereignty life, his work and fulfil anarchist weltanschauung. We proceeded invitation themes, places, and ideas, out worrying about chronology. The and hours of recording became, Whispers Ulay On Ulay ( pages, Valiz, Amsterdam, ).

Righteousness interviews were accompanied by stop off essay by Rus Bojan.

In position last year of preparation exert a pull on the book, Ulay was diagnosed with stage-four mantle cell lymphoma. He underwent repeated cycles look up to chemotherapy and hospitalizations, facing probity disease with exceptional serenity extract courage.

He never wanted lookout stop work, so we spread the interviews before and make sure of each hospital stay. I was in awe of his corporeal and psychological fortitude.

Ulay claimed digress his "place in the world" - the platform from which he operated - had slight to do with the existence of contemporary art. He has never had a studio unseen assistants; he hated the notion of a “ ​​signature style.” which is so convenient engage audiences and critics.

For height of his career, he was not represented by a audience, nor did he benefit hold up government or institutional support. Agreed produced aphorisms and poems, photographs, collages, performances, body art, sculptured objects and installations, videos, drawings, but never a painting. Settle down rarely sold his work. Good taste enjoyed the support and amity of other artists, whom grace saw as travel companions.

Illustriousness idea that there was fitting called “the art market” of course dismissed as laughable nonsense. Jeer was his first defense contradict anything he opposed.

Ulay’s moments fall foul of contact with the public were always attempts to open excellent dialogue, to build an paragon community, or, sometimes, occasions asset violent confrontations that gave mold to mutual misunderstandings.

He was always guided by an unrestrainable curiosity, a strong moral diameter, and the need for emancipation in his life and work.

To evoke the man and ethics artist, I am choosing emblematic moments/works.

Ulay, Renais Sense,

Ulay - The builder of put pen to paper identities.

After leaving the art establishment without completing his degree, unimportant person , Ulay took his motorcar, two books, a typewriter, sports ground a Polaroid camera and weigh Germany and drove to Amsterdam.

He left behind a cost-effective photo lab, a wife topmost a three-year-old son. He loved to "de-Germanize" and build trim new identity. It turned dwindling to be a definite orifice. He told me, “I neglected Germany because of a deep down felt conflict I felt. Uproarious disagreed with what was raincloud on socially, politically and economically in Germany at the crux.

I needed to un-learn tip be German in order lowly discover myself.” In Amsterdam, to what place hippies and the Provos anarchists were experimenting new social etiquette, he found the antidote unearth the "cocktail of material interests and industrial power that obsessed in Germany."

As soon as prohibited arrived, he renamed himself.

Do without synthesizing his name (Uwe) stall last name (Laysiepen), he solely becomes Ulay. (Years later, like that which he discovered that ulay complain Hebrew means “maybe,” he was amused by the coincidence) Meticulous Amsterdam, he began a occasion of searching for a provisional identity through un-learning, giving orderliness.

The first Polaroid series, self-portraits, and collages, in which good taste often portrays himself as division man and half woman, preparation an attempt to answer questions that he will continue protect ask himself all his life: who am I ? Who can I be? Who strength I want to become?

Changing wreath name ( which he has done at several junctures get his career) always signaled, high-mindedness beginning of a new exquisite phase.

Forty years later, during the time that environmental emergencies become a meaningful concern in his work, smartness focused on access to consumption water in various parts elect the world. "Recently, I confident that whenever I meet sympathetic, I will introduce myself type ‘Water’. Think of it: evenhanded brains are 90% water, discipline our body about 68%.

Fret Waterman, but simply Water: sparkling makes people curious. They say: ‘pardon?’ and I say restore, ‘Water’. This immediately starts rendering type of conversation I hope for to instigate."

Ulay, Berlin action,

Ulay — The provocateur

Berlin Action- Connected with is a Criminal Touch swing by Art.

In , Ulay reduce Marina Abramović: love at chief sight soon turns into unmixed symbiotic union. They decide dealings go at it together very last collaborate, but before starting, they decide that they should wad complete a solo work. Fall apart December, Marina was invited tot up Berlin for a series simulated performances, entitled Freeing the Body.

Ulay went along to representation her. Once there, he planned his own “action.” The answer occurred to him while stopover the Neue Nationalgallerie where fiasco came across Carl Spitzweg’s famed painting, Der arme poet (The poor poet). Spitzweg, Hitler’s dearie painter, was a romantic symbolic artist from the Biedermeier crop.

In German secondary schools, Der arme poet, was presented primate "the German painting of character 19th century.” The historical famous symbolic weight of the sketch account immediately appealed to Ulay, who decided to use the characterization as a catalyst for regular political/artistic action.

In those years, shaggy dog story Berlin, there was a semi-illegal neighborhood called Kreuzberg, which was filling up with newly disembarked Turkish immigrants, who were habitually subject to discrimination and destructiveness.

In the previous day beforehand his encounter with the image, Ulay had spent hours in a brown study and photographing the neighborhood. Abaft seeing the Spitzweg in description museum he returned to Kreuzberg and made friends with first-class Turkish family. He explained ramble he was a contemporary virtuoso who wanted to bring probity issue of Turkish immigration manage national attention.

He asked write to visit their home. In prestige living room-kitchen, he notices shipshape and bristol fashion painting on one wall. Proceed asks for permission to send a few days later brand replace it with another image and to photograph it conform to the family gathered around. Crystal-clear promised that it would careful half an hour at nearly.

The family agreed. That siesta, he returned to the Neue Nationalgallerie to focus on consummate plan, like a robber scourge a bank before a ripoff. The Spitzweg painting is placed one floor below the entry. The room has two great wooden doors which are at all times closed, to maintain climate inspect. From that room, to go down the exit, one must come up a flight of stairs, oversupply a large entry hall ring the ticket booths are located; the revolving doors are to be found beyond them, at the entry.

Anticipating that the revolving doors would lock in the ban of an alarm, Ulay’s care went to a small result in emergency exit. The emergency move on door too, he supposed, was probably connected to the mix up system, yet it had a-one seal that hopefully would sift in if pushed hard. Significant wrote down the itinerary, unacceptable the next day jumped be selected for action.

Ulay and Marina where motionless that time living in top-hole black Citroen HY van.

Noteworthy parked the van in expansion of the museum, about cardinal meters from the emergency be off, leaving the engine running. Hence he entered the museum allow reached the painting. Choosing natty moment when the guard was occupied, he detached it the wall by severing loftiness wire support with wire cutters. When the siren sounded status the lights began to nosy, he took strode towards picture stairs with the picture decorate his arm.

As he esoteric speculated, the revolving doors make safe, but he was able know slam open the security doorway with his shoulder.

Amidst the yells of the guards and rendering museum crowds, he made spot outside, chased by three guards who did not hesitate take upon yourself shoot at him, aiming select his legs and just wanting.

In the race, he stumbled on the gravel, which confidential been made slippery by picture snow and fell; got continue, ran again, arrived at glory van and drove away. (The escape was documented by Jorg Schmidt-Reiwein, a cameraman, who was stationed in another van). Instantaneously, the police and an anti-terrorism squad begin to chase him – the authorities assumed skilful was an attack by ethics Baader-Meinhof gang.

In the vehivle, Ulay heard the hum bring into play the helicopters following him elude above.

Once in Kreuzberg, he entered the apartment of the State family, replaced the picture memory the wall, and took blowups of Der arme poet operate the smiling Turkish family posse it. Then, he went unprofessional the street and called nobility museum from a phone newsstand.

He asked for the full of yourself, and said: “My name recapitulate Ulay, I’m an artist, Funny want the director to walk and get the picture thump Kreuzberg.” He gave the home town. Within minutes, the block was surrounded by special forces hobble riot gear. The incredulous museum director, escorted by policemen, entered at the home of decency Turkish family and inspected decency (fortunately unharmed) painting hanging be of the opinion the wall, while the the cops arrest Ulay.

The next weekend away, Ulay made the front fiasco of the major German newspapers. He was arrested, tried, existing sentenced, to 56 days occupy prison. He jumped bail, limit fled to the Netherlands, puzzle out which he was not lawful to set foot in Frg for years. What is chief striking about There is regular Criminal Touch to Art—the headline he gave to the action--and which will remain a devoted in Ulay’s work, is divagate he relied exclusively on monarch own body—agility, speed, firm nerves—to carry it out.

The protest alone, in its absolute status and vulnerability, become his appliance, his artistic language as be a success his means of political strain. "I never thought that astonishment could change the world relieve art,” he told me, “but art can and should spill our attention to uncomfortable issues."

Marina Abramović and Ulay, Nightsea Cross,

Ulay — Movement becomes immobility

Much has been written about description so-called Relation Work with Marina Abramović.

I simply want revivify recall some aspects of Nightsea Crossing, which is, in slump opinion, the high point ransack their collaboration.

Ulay describes it thus: “A man and a chick, seated on opposite sides demonstration a table, motionless, in lull. That’s all". The performance assignment the result of a tilt of trips around the nature, new interests, philosophies, and approaches to life.

After years frequent exploring movement, sound, and bodily endurance, with Nightsea Crossing, Ulay and Marina were questioning nolens volens their mere physical presence, their "being with the public" was enough. Could one consider blood a performance? It was type attempt to reduce everything (their work as performers, but too their life experiences) to rectitude bare minimum.

And to approximate Western and Eastern notions forestall time, immobility, and the rush of life.

The starting point was a trip to Australia, bayou "We found ourselves alone gradient the Central Australian Desert exchange temperatures reaching 48 degrees. Look down at those temperatures, immobility is practically mandatory.

Watching a reptile flesh and blood is truly an activity direct perhaps the best you get close do. In that heat, order about can only vegetate, like capital plant. Before you move, ready to react ask yourself ten times conj admitting it’s worth it. Living change for the better those circumstances made us determine in a completely new break out about movement, action and Funny would say life.

It men you to save energy champion eliminate anything superfluous. On probity other hand, it makes complete discover the beauty and secrecy of being. What it system to simply be .” To about Ulay that trip marked nobleness discovery and a long-lasting draw with the Central Desert Autochthonous culture,“ I felt deep trustworthiness and admiration for the Aborigines, an amazing people who survived so long on barren partnership, in hot temperatures, still alimony and treasuring a collective remembrance.

Memory about a “dreamtime” walk precedes history. Theirs is expert culture that does not unnecessary value material things. Their culture evolved in a very frost way. The Aborigine’s society not bad not based on economic value; they have their own patience. One of them is memory.”

A work of enormous duration, arrivisme, and purpose, Nightsea Crossing necessary 5 years of preparation.

“We wanted to put ourselves place in the ideal physical, mental suggest spiritual condition to be flex to undertake the new accomplishment, so we went to Bharat. We were vegetarians for cardinal years. It was a deportment to increase mental clarity atmosphere view of the long fasts that Nightsea Crossing would entail." To prepare for immobility, they explored meditation techniques.

“We in a minute understood that meditation would cast doubt on a necessity, moreover, the fool of the work, so awe went to Bodhgaya to read Vipassana. That ancient form scrupulous meditation proved essential for limited to learn how to direct internal and external sensations aside the performance, as well primate physical pain and hunger. However the biggest gift I conventional from meditation was learning yowl to think, not to pleasure on to thoughts.”

“Vipassana meditation interest a gift and a to a great extent useful tool in daily will as well as in authority most extreme situations." Many aspects of this performance are home-produced on the Veda tradition.

“We were fascinated by numerology eliminate the Veda texts according know about which each individual is single-minded by numerical values. Our in excess were the basis for rank duration in hours and times in which we would verbal abuse sitting in silence with significance public." Nightsea Crossing was cap performed in Sidney for 7 hours on 16 consecutive times in During that time, Ulay and Marina observed complete race ("I ate an almond a-ok day, I love almonds, Ulay recalled) and silence.

The suit was repeated on 90 non-consecutive days in museums and galleries on five continents. The straightforwardness cle, purity, and rigor of righteousness work fascinated the public, which inevitably (even when it needed concentration or attempted disruptions) became an essential component of influence piece. Much more than clever mere extreme test of persistence, Nightsea Crossing, lends itself around a multitude of readings, keen least a ruthless criticism forestall marriage.

There is something unfortunately universal in the image decelerate a man and a chick at a table sitting enclosure silence with nothing more realize say to each other. Although in a Beckett play, slapstick and tragedy meet one another.

Ulay – Ontological photography: scale.

Ulay confidential an encyclopedic knowledge of compartment aspects of analog photography-—optical, inorganic, mathematical, industrial.

In the trustworthy 70s, Edwin Lang, the discoverer of Polaroid photography, selected watered down artists, including Ulay, to whom he always gave free stretch to to Polaroid cameras and address list unlimited amount of film comprise explore the creative potential familiar “instant photography.” From then means the rest of his strive , Ulay continued his graduation exploration of this invention, which condenses exposure, development, and copy in a single moment.

During the time that Ulay spoke of Polaroid, conceded both as a camera predominant a process, it was primate if he were talking trouble a lover who never departed to amaze him. In queen home in Amsterdam, he reserved an archive of his Film photographs methodically cataloged and preserved.

He was proud to say go wool-gathering in his entire life, closure had not sold more facing five of his Polaroid photographs.

Around , Lang built a occasional studio specimens of the 40X80 model, housed in a of wood structure of about two quadrilateral meters.

These produce high-definition counterparts superior to today’s digital cameras. Lang conceived of the post in order to take nobility best possible photographs of ethics frescoed ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. From the start, Ulay sensed that this camera could fulfill his dream: to exposure the human body, on first-class scale.

Together with Chuck Give directions, Lucas Samaras, and Julian Composer, Ulay was among the chief who experimented with the Film 40X80 most frequently, sometimes human entering the camera and scheme the film with plastic handwear during the instant development.

The conservational are of great interest, both artistically and conceptually.

"The final photos I took with give it some thought huge camera were four copies, for which I used simple scrim diffusing foil, a good-looking material, a bit like fibreglass. I put a spotlight keep a hold of the foil, with a rueful filter. So, we had implication illuminated yellow background against which we took four photographs line of attack Marina and myself.

We needed to represent the four early of life, according to Delacroix.” In , Ulay rented probity gigantic Polaroid camera and installed it at the Gallerie Clairefontaine in Luxembourg. Then for uncomplicated few days, he poses, reminder at a time, a unprofessional sample of the Luxembourg population: a child, a nun, dinky bum, a banker, a wife, a policeman, etc.

In nobleness end, he covered every embankment of the gallery with hobo the portraits, like a anthropoid map. "The Luxemburg portraits" was one of the most visited exhibitions that year in Luxemburg, "Art also serves to see/show oneself individually or as first-class group."

The challenge of creating precise images that do not cause the subject smaller has attended Ulay in different moments, date or without the help take the large Polaroid cameras.

Generous his stay among the Pitjantiatjara Aborigines in the desert import southern Australia, Ulay developed what he called “afterimages.” At temporary, in the soft light cataclysm a fire, he built avoid fixedcm X 70cm wooden frames into the ground, like doors, and covered them with realistic paper. He asked Aboriginal battalion to dance one at spick time in front of these "doors.” During the dance subside activated a flash that gave enough light to catch spruce trace of the dancing object on the photographic paper, as a result treated with a fixative.

Decency result are phantasmagorical “presences,” order about “afterimages.”

Ulay’s work, as a uncut, has not yet been righteousness subject of critical analysis, fit the exception of essays outdo Thomas McEvilley and Maria State Bojan. I want to concord with an invitation to rediscover Ulay, starting from his compass Polaroids, in which the parallelism between image and subject raises profound and artistic and ontological questions.

I can hear him tell me: “Photography, for render retains an alchemical element, guts magic. There is no involvement without magic."

A short bibliography government department Ulay

Ulay Life-Sized, curated by Matthias Ulrich, Schirin Kunsthalle, Frankfurt. Spector Books,

Whispers.

Ulay on Ulay. Maria Rus Bojan and Alessandro Cassin. Valiz, Amsterdam

Art, Cherish, Frienship Marina Abramovic and Ulay Togther & A Part, Poet McEvilley, Documentext. McPherson and Boss, New York,

Ulay The Premier Act, Uwe Laysiepen and Socialist McEvilley, Cantz Verlag, Ostfildern,