Autobiographical Art / Auto-Art (1992)
Excerpt fr. John A. Walker’s Glossary of Art, Architecture & Design since 1945, 3rd. ed.
artdesigncafé | cafe library | Published 04 June 2011
This text is an excerpt from Walker’s 1992 glossary previously published by Library Association Publishing, London.
Auto-Art
Auto-Art is an abbreviation of ’autobiographical art’, Peter Frank’s 1976 term for the confessional, narcissistic self-portraiture of artists like Laurie Anderson, John Baldessari, Chris Burden, Julia Heyward, Urs Lüthi, Roger Welch and Hannah Wilke. A show called Choices held in New York in 1986 also featured artists— Marina Abramovic, Alex Grey, United Art Contractors, lan Wilson and others— who made art from everyday experience. This work too was dubbed “autobiographical” and also “egocentric art”.
(NB If “auto” is regarded as short for “automobile”, then the term “Auto-Art” could also describe the decoration and customizing of motor cars; see Car Culture and Customizing & Custom Painting.)
See also Body Art, Photo-Therapy, Story Art.
References and further readings
> Peter Frank. “Auto-art: Self indulgent? And how!” ARTnews, 75(7), September 1976, pp. 43-8.
> Marcia Tucker. Choices: Making an art of everyday life. (New York, New Museum of Contemporary Art, 1986).
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