{"id":{"repo_id":"ohiolink","oai_identifier":"oai:etd.ohiolink.edu:ohiou1354806907"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/ohiolink/oai:etd.ohiolink.edu:ohiou1354806907","repository":{"repo_id":"ohiolink","name":"OhioLINK","base_url":"https://etd.ohiolink.edu/acprod/odb_etd/ws/oai/oai"},"display":{"title":"Virtuosic Performance: Rearticulating Disability in the Works of Lisa Bufano, Ron Athey, and Martin O'Brien","abstract":"The performance art practices of Lisa Bufano, Martin O’Brien, and Ron Athey articulate a virtuosic disability that operates in the spaces between representation, embodied experience, and material traces of the diseased or disabled body. Using Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari’s model of affective, relational bodies, this thesis analyzes Ron Athey’s <i>Deliverance</i> and <i>Self-Obliteration</i> cycle, Lisa Bufano’s performance work <i>One Breath is an Ocean for a Wooden Heart</i>, and Martin O’Brien’s durational performance of <i>Mucus Factory</i>, arguing that when virtuosity and disability are at play with one another in performance, all assumptions about the essential dysfunction of the disabled body become groundless. The disabled body becomes an affirmation of embodiment and possibility, performing a body that can be painful, erotic, sensual, sublime, knowable and unknowable at each turn, opening up the potential for a multiplicity of body knowledges and experiences.","abstract_html":"The performance art practices of Lisa Bufano, Martin O’Brien, and Ron Athey articulate a virtuosic disability that operates in the spaces between representation, embodied experience, and material traces of the diseased or disabled body. Using Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari’s model of affective, relational bodies, this thesis analyzes Ron Athey’s &lt;i&gt;Deliverance&lt;/i&gt; and &lt;i&gt;Self-Obliteration&lt;/i&gt; cycle, Lisa Bufano’s performance work &lt;i&gt;One Breath is an Ocean for a Wooden Heart&lt;/i&gt;, and Martin O’Brien’s durational performance of &lt;i&gt;Mucus Factory&lt;/i&gt;, arguing that when virtuosity and disability are at play with one another in performance, all assumptions about the essential dysfunction of the disabled body become groundless. The disabled body becomes an affirmation of embodiment and possibility, performing a body that can be painful, erotic, sensual, sublime, knowable and unknowable at each turn, opening up the potential for a multiplicity of body knowledges and experiences.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Kurtz, Amanda J."],"institution":"Ohio University","degree_name":"Master of Arts (MA)","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Art History (Fine Arts)","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Klein, Jennie"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2012,"date_issued":"2012","date_published":"2012","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:35:52Z","subjects":["Art Criticism","Art History","Dance","Fine Arts","Performing Arts","virtuosity","disability","performance and disability","Ron Athey","Martin O'Brien","Lisa Bufano"],"languages":["English"],"rights":["unrestricted","This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1354806907","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Klein, Jennie"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Kurtz, Amanda J."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2012"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Ohio University / OhioLINK"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Electronic Thesis or Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Art History (Fine Arts)"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts (MA)"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Ohio University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Art Criticism","Art History","Dance","Fine Arts","Performing Arts","virtuosity","disability","performance and disability","Ron Athey","Martin O'Brien","Lisa Bufano"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["unrestricted","This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. 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Using Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari’s model of affective, relational bodies, this thesis analyzes Ron Athey’s <i>Deliverance</i> and <i>Self-Obliteration</i> cycle, Lisa Bufano’s performance work <i>One Breath is an Ocean for a Wooden Heart</i>, and Martin O’Brien’s durational performance of <i>Mucus Factory</i>, arguing that when virtuosity and disability are at play with one another in performance, all assumptions about the essential dysfunction of the disabled body become groundless. The disabled body becomes an affirmation of embodiment and possibility, performing a body that can be painful, erotic, sensual, sublime, knowable and unknowable at each turn, opening up the potential for a multiplicity of body knowledges and experiences."]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["application/pdf","p.94","5.19 MB"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Virtuosic Performance: Rearticulating Disability in the Works of Lisa Bufano, Ron Athey, and Martin O'Brien"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Klein, Jennie"],"dc:creator":["Kurtz, Amanda J."],"dc:date":["2012"],"dc:description":["The performance art practices of Lisa Bufano, Martin O’Brien, and Ron Athey articulate a virtuosic disability that operates in the spaces between representation, embodied experience, and material traces of the diseased or disabled body. Using Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari’s model of affective, relational bodies, this thesis analyzes Ron Athey’s <i>Deliverance</i> and <i>Self-Obliteration</i> cycle, Lisa Bufano’s performance work <i>One Breath is an Ocean for a Wooden Heart</i>, and Martin O’Brien’s durational performance of <i>Mucus Factory</i>, arguing that when virtuosity and disability are at play with one another in performance, all assumptions about the essential dysfunction of the disabled body become groundless. The disabled body becomes an affirmation of embodiment and possibility, performing a body that can be painful, erotic, sensual, sublime, knowable and unknowable at each turn, opening up the potential for a multiplicity of body knowledges and experiences."],"dc:format":["application/pdf","p.94","5.19 MB"],"dc:identifier":["http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1354806907"],"dc:language":["English"],"dc:publisher":["Ohio University / OhioLINK"],"dc:rights":["unrestricted","This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws."],"dc:subject":["Art Criticism","Art History","Dance","Fine Arts","Performing Arts","virtuosity","disability","performance and disability","Ron Athey","Martin O'Brien","Lisa Bufano"],"dc:title":["Virtuosic Performance: Rearticulating Disability in the Works of Lisa Bufano, Ron Athey, and Martin O'Brien"],"dc:type":["Electronic Thesis or Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Art History (Fine Arts)"],"thesis:degree_level":["masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Arts (MA)"],"thesis:institution_name":["Ohio University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:35:52Z"}