Tripping the Light Transgressive

What is it with British art students? First we had Jammie Nicholas who decided to create a perfume from a BM instead of flushing it down the toilet. Now we have Leah Capaldi, one of five artists shortlisted for The Catlin Art Prize in England. Emma Love in The Independent describes her entry:

Leah Capaldi’s performance piece involves two actors at a time (one female, one male), who will each be sprayed with a whole bottle of Chanel Allure or Allure Pour Homme. They will walk among visitors at The Tramshed in London . . .

What do you mean, you don’t get it? Have you no appreciation for Art? Alright then, let Ms. Capaldi spell it out for you:

“The idea came from when I was at the British Museum a while ago looking at a statue and a woman walked past me wearing so much perfume it was unbelievable. I found it stifling and had a real physical reaction; I had to walk to the other end of the gallery to get out of that space,” says the RCA sculpture graduate Capaldi, who has already sprayed herself with perfume and travelled on public transport around London in the rush hour to see how people would react.

Now do you get it? Brilliant, yes? She’s grossing people out with perfume. It’s transgressive. Therefore, it’s Art.

Ms. Capaldi is a multi-media artist; she also uses a giant Mickey Mouse head and chocolate cake.

Sounds like fun and free government grant money to me. I’m already working on my first performance piece. It involves students from the Royal College of Art, his-and-her thongs printed with the Union Jack, and a bucket of KFC Fiery Buffalo Wings. The piece is called “Flaming British Assholes.”

Transgressive!