Orlan

Orlan is a french performance artist who uses her own body as art. She records plastic surgery procedures as art and the plastic surgery she has is art. She had an ectopic pregnancy in 1978 and had a film crew video her surgery of having the non-viable foetus removed from her body while remaining conscious throughout. This is what inspired the future of her body of work. In 1990-1993 Orlan had 9 plastic surgery operations that were a recreation of western art. The procedures were performed infront of a live audience and Orlan was also conscious throughout. Her mouth was altered to mimic Francois Boucher's 'Europa'. Her chin was changed to look like Botticelli's 'Venice' and the most famous part she changed was her eyebrows which were protruded to look like Leonardo Davinci's 'Mona Lisa'.
I think Orlan's work opens a controversial door as well as an open mind to see the lengths and artist will go to represent what is art and the meanings of it. I find her work intriguing and unique as she expresses art by using her own body to be changed and altered.