performance art

noun

|Updated on: 26 Jul 2018

Definition of performance art

: a nontraditional art form often with political or topical themes that typically features a live presentation to an audience or onlookers (as on a street) and draws on such arts as acting, poetry, music, dance, or painting

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performance artist

noun

See performance art defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of performance art from the Web

Each rape is a work of performance art, with costumes and props (including, in one unforgettable case, a dead cat) leaving the victims forever reliving the horrors inflicted on them and helpless to understand.

— lisa miller, The Cut, "The Weaponized Amber Tamblyn," 8 July 2018
The show featured performance art, graffiti, film, and a carnival atmosphere.

— stephen metcalf, The Atlantic, "Jean-Michel Basquiat Is Still an Enigma," 24 June 2018
The price of convenience, however, was sound bleed, which irked avant garde songsmith Benjamin Clementine during his part experimental pop/part performance art set Friday.

— michael rietmulder, The Seattle Times, "Sasquatch! Music Festival 2018 recap: Artists of all ages made beloved fest feel vital," 28 May 2018
Ranallo worried that skeptical viewers might see their project as more like performance art than documentary, in the vein of one of his heroes, the comedian Andy Kaufman.

— greg bishop, SI.com, "Mauro Ranallo Aims to Reach an Important Audience With Documentary on His Bipolar Disorder," 18 May 2018
This piece of performance art, usually lasting no more than 15 minutes, offers a glimpse into the mind of the creator, and every detail counts, from the invitations to the hair and makeup to, of course, the venue.

— Vogue, "Take Me to Church: 21 Times Designers Put on Shows in Holy Places," 24 Apr. 2018
Eaux Claires has hosted literature, dance, sculpture and performance art, and 18 installations are slated for this year, according to the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram.

— erin richards, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Eaux Claires vs. Summerfest: 1 weekend, 2 very different festivals," 6 July 2018
Detroit, for example, makes performance art about The Last Dragon (1985), the cult classic martial arts movie produced by Motown kingpin Berry Gordy.

— josephine livingstone, The New Republic, "Sorry to Bother You Is a Brilliant Black Comedy About Race, Labor, and Magic," 29 June 2018
The new space, to be used as a performance arts center and a recording studio, features 17-foot ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, a terrace and skylights.

— New York Times, "Recent Commercial Real Estate Transactions," 26 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'performance art.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.