Michael Reinsch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJvo3dKK3U0&feature=related :a link to Michael's video of Maypole located on YouTube. There are other videos of his performance art on YouTube as well.

Today when Michael walked into our class to present his manifesto, based on his appearance of a white button up, tie and black slacks, I would have never guessed he would have presented the performance that he did. All I could think, in between mentally acknowledging the truth in which he was speaking and literally laughing out loud, was this guy has balls. And, yes, I am speaking about more than just the one's visible through his long johns.
At first, when he started stripping I presumed that this guy was nutty, only to find out that he truly is, but in an interesting and intriguing way. Behind what may seem like insanity is actually a lot of thought and creativity that ultimately puts out a very understandable and relatable message.
When he brought up how he likes to use the Internet as a place for his art to exist and derive from, it related perfectly with what we have been spending so much time talking about in class. Especially with the last article we just read “Technical Reproduction and its Significance”. Michael is able to utilize the Internet to keep an archive of his visual work and also a way to spread it. However, watching the recordings of his work is immensely different than experiencing his work first hand in class today.
I found it incredibly intriguing that he accumulates other people's blogs that he finds online and meshes them together in a very well thought out monologue of sorts. I would have never thought of turning other people's blogs into art, (a story perhaps, however he is also doing that as well) but the way in which Michael has decided to truly bring them to life in an art performance, I find to be quite unique. I also really enjoy the irony that I have experienced in his work. Not only in his manifesto from class today where he was “for an art“ using blurbs from blogs about hating art, but even in watching his recorded pieces as well. For example, in the video link above of his performance in Salem, Maypole, having his setting look like a party with streamers while reciting commentary on the recession and work while physically being entangled and trapped in the streamers as he spins and becomes fatigued. Definitaly not a party.