The Concept of Artist Presence in Contemporary Art

Exploring Aspects of the Auratic

Abstract

Examining various artworks within the realm of performative, ambient, and digital art, this paper introduces the term “artist presence” with reference to the revival of a contemplative approach in art. Employing the term “artist presence” expands the possibilities of interpreting a work of art, encompassing the use of one’s body as an expression of presence, ontic existence, and being in the world across diverse temporal circumstances. The focal point of interpretation shifts from the experiential aspects of body-art or behavioural practices to the representation of presence. The ritualization of procedures is observed through the lens of an auratic property, a concept explored through Walter Benjamin’s aura theory. Tracing its evolution into the post-modern discourse, the aura is considered as a complex cognitive-aesthetic category. In connection with the neo-ritual performance of artworks, the concept is here applied to various case studies. The notion of artist presence as an auratic feature is examined through the performances of Marina Abramović and the recontextualization of the auratic in digital art, as seen in the short post-covid films by David Lynch. In conclusion, the diffusion of this concept is explored in the works of Wolfgang Laib, Yves Klein, Richard Long, and Željko Jerman.