On November 19, 1971 in Santa Ana, California, Chris Burden performed a piece entitled "Shoot" in which his assistant stood 15 feet away from him and shot him in the arm. Though never fully touched upon it is largely believed that the piece was meant to invoke thoughts of the Vietnam war. I cannot think of any art made by someone who is still alive (I'll get to Bas Jan Ader) that is so gnarly.
Burden's descrpition of the piece:
"“At 7:45 P.M. I was shot in the left arm by a friend. The bullet was a copper jacket .22 long rifle. My friend was standing about fifteen feet from me.” Why do such things? “I wanted to be taken seriously as an artist,”
Read more http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/artworld/2007/05/14/070514craw_artworld_schjeldahl#ixzz1K885JUnj"
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