Experiential Traces: The Aesthetic of Absence. In: The Phenomenology of Blood in Performance Art

This chapter examines the ephemeral nature of performance art through the lens of absence, phenomenology, and cosmology, exploring how traces of performance endure beyond the live event. By drawing parallels between the cosmic cycle of stellar birth and death and the material remnants of performance, the chapter considers how absence can paradoxically signify presence. Just as the light of long-extinguished stars continues to reach us, the traces left behind in performance—bloodstains, documentation, memory—extend the life of an artwork beyond its immediate temporal and spatial boundaries.
Coon’s discussion engages with the works of Franko B. and Mike Parr, both of whom employ blood as a performative medium, generating visceral responses in spectators that persist beyond the initial moment of witnessing. By examining how blood operates as both an index of presence and a marker of absence, the chapter situates performance art within a broader ontological and cosmological framework. The aesthetic of absence, rather than signifying loss, becomes a mechanism for enduring presence—an invitation for audiences to engage in acts of memory, projection, and re-interpretation.
Phenomenological approaches to performance are examined alongside astrophysical concepts, proposing that performance operates within a cyclic structure akin to the cosmos, where traces serve as markers of past events while simultaneously gesturing toward future possibilities. The chapter ultimately contends that performance art’s most profound effect lies in its ability to generate experiential residues—intangible yet deeply felt—that persist in the mind and body of the spectator, much like the lingering glow of stars long vanished.