Fresh Acconci

In his video work Fresh Acconci, Mike Kelley refers to performative works from the 1970’s of the American artist Vito Acconci that focus on the body, space and intimacy. The most important references are Theme Song (1973), Conversions (1971) and Prysings (1971).
Kelley’s work was created in reaction to the resurgence of body art in the 1990s and represents a both humorous and critical homage to Acconci’s performances. In the video, these are re-staged and deliberately distorted through a contemporary form of direction. Acconci’s work is shifted to a narrative level and stylized through an approach that at times seems pornographic. This methodology is reminiscent of works by artists from a later generation such as Matthew Barney and Vanessa Beecroft.