Nick Schonberger, the mind behind curatedmag.com put together the list of the 50 most badass moments in art history. I found this on complex.com, and decided to choose my personal favourites from the list and having minored in art history at university I found that the 50 featured were apt yet there was still a lot more that could have been chosen but then again this was a list of the most "badass" moments and the definition on that itself seems to vary
Andy Warhol's soup can was a pretty badass thing to do in the 1960's. The only problem I always seem to get hungry when I look at these soup cans!
Damien Hirst is a modern day badass because by just putting his name to formaldehyded animals he can earn millions.
John Cage was responsible for the fluxus movement similar to that of the Dadaist movement in which Duchamp was one of the pioneers. This manifesto was pretty badass and shook up the contemporary art work in the mid 20th Century. I also love John Cage because of his 4' 33'' which is a piece of music which can be adapted to any instrument the thing is you cannot play that instrument for 4 minutes and 33 seconds. I find this such a revolutionary connection between art, music and nihilism (sung in julie andrews style: these are a few of my favourite things)
Just as it is stated in the countdown Manet paints a hooker. That was pretty badass for the time.
I first learnt about the guerilla girls when I first learnt about the word; feminism. And I have been a guerilla girl at heart ever since. These girls burst onto the scene in the mid 80's and are known for wearing gorilla masks and juxtaposing gorilla heads on images of females in the media which not only makes one think again about how females are portrayed but helps deviate from the mediated norms of society.
Chris Burden gets his friend to shoot him from 5 metres away in 1971. Nothing is more badass then getting shot. This guy did it before everyone; fiddy cent, jackass etc.
Marcel Duchamp's "Fountain" 1917 was listed at 3 on the most badass list. I definitely agree with this placing. As in 1917 was indeed very badass of Duchamp to submit a urinal into an exhibition under the name of R. Mutt which is crudely signed around the base.
In my mind this would have to be the most badass thing an artist can do. Cut off your ear and send it to a prostitute. Not only was Van Gogh incredibly talented and suffered a life of hardship but he also ever so slightly resembles my boyfriend which of course gives him an instant one up over the rest in the list.
