Discuss performance art. Performance art is a form that is visual art first, but borrows from the areas of dance, music and theatre. Although it can be a theatrical event performed in front of a live audience, it is not rehearsed and polished the way a traditional performance is. It does not usually have a narrative line or plot. Rather, it has a central concept or idea at its core that is explored through the performance.
Performance art is like a live sculpture that exists for a limited amount of time.
Explore the use of metaphor in visual art. Discuss historical divisions between media and techniques traditionally used by males or females. What factors may have contributed to the allocation of art materials to a specific gender, such as men and marble sculpture or women and embroidery. Look at the work of contemporary artists, both male and female, who are no longer conforming to stereotyped expectations regarding choice of media or subject. Have students create their own visual metaphors.