Walking Artists

We walk everyday. Learning to walk is one of the first things we do in our life. Some artists use this in their art. For example:

Touch

Janine Antoni 
She practice tightrope walking until she could walk across the horizon. She has touch the horizon. She walked across water just like Jesus. It us a beautiful photograph and the set up is great. It is a very simple idea walking along things you cannot normally walk on. Something as normal as walking she has turned into something spectacular. 

Tehching Hsieh
He is a performing artist and he does year long projects. This particular one was not entering a building for a year, being outside for a whole year. All he could do was walk around New York City. When you cannot go inside all you can really do is walk, because it keeps you warm. I believe that on top of the fact that walking keeps you warm, it also keeps you sane. Hsieh made walking into a life saving thing.

The Lovers

Marina Abramović & Ulay

I am already a huge fan of Marina Abramović. Her work is impressive and emotional and this performance which she did with her long standing partner Ulay is no exception. They both walk from opposite ends of the Great Wall and met in the middle. It took 90 days and they both had to walk 1200 miles. The original plan was for them to get married when they met in the middle, but their relationship had not been going well, so it changed to them meeting and then never seeing each other again (until 2011). The idea of these two people, who emotional connection was great, walking all that distance towards each other and then when they finally meet they are never to see each other again - it is heart breaking. It nearly drivers me to tears. It is so beautiful. The dedication of walking all that way only to meet someone, who means so much to you, for the last time is incredible. The meaning of walking is changed in that situation. Every step you take brings you closer to the person you love but at the same time it brings you closer to seeing them for the last time. 

All these artists have change the meaning of walking in their art. Antoni made the impossible possible and Hsieh had to walk in order to survive and Abramović and Ulay walk to their doom. They all made something so normal into something incredibly powerful.