Closest Quote by Marina Abramovic
“I had to leave some traces. In the beginning, I would give complete instructions to the photographer. In the '70s, people would come to photograph your work and you would just end up with this crazy material that had nothing to do with your work; maybe I'd pick up two or three photographs that were the closest to the idea. This is why when you look at the '70s, you see much less documentation and really bad material. The material will become misleading to what the piece was.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Art Talk, 1995, Marina Abramović discussing documentation of performance art
She reflects on how early documentation was controlled, but later uncontrolled photography distorted the work’s intent, leading to misleading records
In simple terms: Early control of documentation gave way to chaotic, inaccurate records of performance art
Key Takeaway
Maintain intentional documentation to preserve artistic intent
Themes
artistic integrity
documentation
performance art
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
analytical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- gallery exhibitions
- artist retrospectives
- academic research
- museum collections
Key Concepts
authenticity
interpretation
archival practice
Questions to Reflect On
- How can artists ensure accurate representation of their work?
- What role should institutions play in preserving performance art?
A Different Perspective
Uncontrolled documentation can misrepresent the original work
