Cultural theorist Rob Cover has suggested that the unstable character of relational contexts in postmodern culture results in all nudity potentially signifying sexuality. Accordingly, I suggest that the presentation of naked bodies in contemporary performance art is always likely to be perceived as sexual. In addition, I observe that many body artists perform transgressive actions that appear to reject normative body culture, whilst the physiques of their naked bodies demonstrate a fascination with the very mainstream body-beautiful ideals their actions seem to challenge; their bodies as well as their self-representation in the media reveal a careful maintenance of their physiques through exercise regimes and other cosmetic endeavours in accordance with cultural norms.
In this presentation, I propose an approach that seeks to actively provoke the sexualization of my narcissistically disciplined naked body (thus accommodating fascinations with normative bodily regimes), whilst at the same time complicating this reading by equally heightening cues that suggest a medical, commodified and artistic context of my body.