An overarching theme in Ulay’s body of work is the vulnerability of the human body, specifically the fragility of human flesh. The initial rooms of the exhibition showcase dozens of polaroids, almost all self-portraits, in which the artist pushes the boundaries of his physical form through cross-dressing or self-mutilation. In the 1973 Dunes series, we see him frolicking through the dunes in garter belts and heavy makeup, playing with a feather boa and eagerly chased by a dog. In the same space hangs Diamond Plane (1973), where he pins a diamond brooch in the shape of an airplane directly onto – or rather, into – his skin. A drop of blood runs down his chest.
In his later works, Ulay addresses the limits of the body in a more subtle manner than in his initial polaroids and the bombastic performances with Abramovic. For example, Berlin Afterimages (1994-1995) is a mysterious photo series of color negatives, born out of a fascination with the “afterimages” that a bright light leaves on the retina. The series depicts the city of Berlin which, after the fall of the Wall, was hastily restored with materials that were not part of the original neoclassical architecture – the contrasts of the color negative highlight the damages and restorations as afterimages of the city’s history. The work included here has the subtitle “Eagles Shall Hunt Dogs,” a nod to Ulay’s homeland’s contentious relationship with eagle symbolism. In the image, a German shepherd can be seen, the same breed that the artist chased in Dunes. While in his earlier works, Ulay used his own skin as an aesthetic border between inside and outside, here he employs the image of the city as a metaphorical body that can be inhabited, damaged, and admired.
www.ftn-books.com has several Ulay publications available.
