If ‘all solo performers are storytellers’ (Bonney, 2000, p. xiii) then so are performers in general, surely? Considering that there is no given way to narrate a story, all methods to narrate should be limitless. Everyone has a story to tell, a question to ask or theory to answer and if performers are storytellers then of course, so are artists! Artists include performers, who choose to speak out in whichever means they feel will express their ideas and thoughts… justifiably.
Contemporary artists have been transferred into the ‘performance artist’ category. The reason for this may be because the word “contemporary” initiates something specific, such as “modern” or “current” – something that no longer describes the art that it has developed into. Instead “performance art” allows the artist to choose from ‘just about everything’ (Bonney, 2000, p. xii) that they may wish to include within their performance.
In modern theatre, artists have learned to appreciate the importance of both process and performance. Nonetheless, Jo Bonney suggests that initially “performance art” was a ‘testing ground… [it] was a process, not [a] product’ (2000, p. xii). This shows that artists around this time period prioritised the development of the art as opposed to the product itself. I understand that the process is a significant element of performance; however, I don’t think it should necessarily be ranked above the end product. Bonney adds that ‘provocation, not entertainment’ (2000, p. xii) was more of the objective in such performances. Presently, this view is still valued and shared by many artists and audiences where the main goal can be to create a debate or opinion. Although, there are still artists and audiences who expect to feel entertained when they attend a performance.
Bonney, Jo (2000) Extreme Exposure: An Anthology of Solo Performance Texts from the Twentieth Century, New York: Theatre Communications Group.