CONTACT / F.A.Q
CONTACT:
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/ORLANofficiel/
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/madame.de.saint.orlan/
F.A.Q* :
*Frequently Asked Questions, and common mistakes
(FRENCH TRANSLATION BELOW)
COMMON MISTAKES
ORLAN is written in capital letters.
ORLAN did not undergo plastic surgery throughout her entire life, but only from 1990 to 1993.
Why the name ORLAN?
To change your name means to invent yourself.
After a session of psychoanalysis, I realized that I was forgetting some letters of my last name when I signed my name “morte” (dead) on my checks.
I wanted to reuse the syllables that have a positive connotation while retaining the word “or” (gold), so I added “lan,” and from that point on, I called myself ORLAN.
What is and who is ORLAN today?
I no longer say “I am” but “I are.”
The first part of my work focused on the search for identity and Christian culture.
I discovered and learned about this Christian culture through art history.
I used the surgery-performances as turning points from 1990 to 1993.
Subsequently, the post-surgery series were based on non-Western references (Pre-Columbian, African, and Native American models, etc.).
Are you a feminist?
I am a neo-feminist, post-feminist, and alter-feminist!
I believe that gender discrimination, machismo, and misogyny are ingrained in all religions, all skin colors, and all countries to varying degrees.
It is the greatest form of apartheid that exists, affecting millions of women who have no right to education or freedom of speech and no access to medical care. Many are sex slaves confined to their homes, whom men have the right to beat or even kill. It is impossible to escape this global problem, even though, as an artist, you have other challenges to face.
As an artist, there is often discrimination, even when professional stakes become serious (exhibitions in galleries, museums, public commissions…). In most cases, women artists are excluded.
Are you a masochist?
I have always rejected the body as a source of pain.
I celebrate the body as a source of sensual pleasure.
I have always fought against the Christian principles of redemption through pain.
During my surgical-operation-performances, the first agreement with the surgeon was that I would not feel pain during or after the surgery.
What are your views on religion?
I did not receive any religious education; my parents were libertarian Esperantists, anarchists, and anticlericals.
To me, God has nothing to do with life or work.
Do you have a definition of beauty?
Beauty is constructed by the dominant ideology referring to models that we shall find beautiful.
Why are you interested in Baroque?
The Baroque shows St. Therese feeling ecstasy and erotic pleasure from the angel’s arrow. This contradicts the Christian religion that asks us to choose between good or evil. The Baroque replaces “or” by “and”.
It is a principle involved in many of my works.
How did you start your career as an artist?
I have always practiced painting, sculpture, poetry, and drama.
At first, I acted in a rebellious way; then, as time went on, I built up my body of work.
Why do you have implants?
I had the idea to get implants which originally are made to enhance cheekbones. I put them on my forehead, which is not deemed within the reach of beauty.
I wanted to bring forth something different.
Why do you choose to alter your body?
I have always questioned the status of the body in within the society and the political, social and religious pressures that are printed in the flesh.
Why do you do surgery?
I’ve chosen to put some face on my face: I develop a work on figuration and re-figuration. It’s a sfumato between presentation and representation.
I had the idea to put a picture that I loved, not by need for surgery, but to invent myself. I wanted to change the image, to make new images.
Why stage your surgical procedures?
The operating room would be my artist’s studio, and its aesthetics had to be transformed to turn this space into something colorful and humorous.
I transformed the somber operating room into a space for performance and life.
I wanted to create a film, videos, and photos from these surgical performances.
Each operation was designed from a psychoanalytic text, literary, philosophical as La Robe by Eugenie Lemoine-Luccioni, or Le Tiers Instruit by Michel Serres.
Do you think you will create more “surgical operations”—performances?
I created a bust in Carrara marble, but that doesn’t mean I intend to create this kind of piece for the rest of my life.
I’m not interested in the material itself, but in the idea.
I’m trying to find the right material to reveal the essence of the idea.
What do you think of plastic surgery?
I’m not against it; it’s a technique of our time.
Yet I’m against its attempts to standardize people.
Why hybridization?
The idea is to blend differences in order to accept them.
In order to coexist with the OTHER and with myself, who is also “other.”
Why produce series?
Because there’s no single way to address an issue; therefore, series allow us to explore an idea from different perspectives.
What is your stance on motherhood?
I’m pretty radical on this subject.
The Earth is overpopulated and polluted. One more child means more pollution, and having many children—as religions urge—is highly anachronistic.
It causes more suffering. Everyone deals with this issue as they see fit, but bringing a human being into this world is a huge responsibility, especially as our resources are dwindling.
With contraception and abortion, women are free to choose and live out their sexuality for reasons other than reproduction.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
COMMON MISTAKES
ORLAN is spelled in all capital letters.
ORLAN did not undergo cosmetic surgery her entire life, but only from 1990 to 1993.
Why ORLAN ?
Changing one’s name is part of the process of self-invention.
After a psychoanalysis session, I realized that I was omitting letters from my birth name and signing my checks as “dead.” I wanted to reuse the syllables that had a positive connotation while keeping the word “or”; I then added “lan,” and from that moment on, I called myself ORLAN.
Who and what is ORLAN today?
I no longer say “I am” but “I am”.
The first part of my work focuses on the search for Christian identity and culture. I discovered and learned about this Christian culture through art history.
The “surgical-performance” works served as a turning point for me from 1990 to 1993.
Subsequently, the post-operative series were constructed using non-Western references (pre-Columbian, African, Native American models, etc.).
Are you a feminist?
I’m a neo-feminist, post-feminist, and alter-feminist!
I believe that sexist, macho, and misogynistic discrimination is ingrained in all religions, all skin colors, and all countries to varying degrees.
It’s the biggest apartheid there is, with millions of women denied the right to education, the right to speak out, and access to medical care. Many are sex slaves confined to the home, where they can be beaten or even killed. It’s impossible to abstract oneself from this global problem, even if when you’re an artist, you have other problems to deal with.
As an artist, there is often discrimination, even when the professional stakes become serious (exhibitions in galleries, museums, public commissions…).
In most cases, women artists are excluded.
Are you a masochist ?
I’ve always rejected the “pain-body”. I advocate the sensual body, the “body-pleasure”.
I’ve always fought against the Christian principles of redemption through pain.
During my “surgical performances,” the first requirement I agreed upon with the surgeon was that I did not want to feel any pain during or after the procedure.
Where do you stand on religion?
I didn’t have a religious upbringing; my parents were libertarian Esperantists, anarchists and anticlericals.
For me, God is not a life or work hypothesis.
Do you have a definition of beauty?
Beauty does not exist. It is constructed by a dominant ideology in a given geographical and historical context; it dictates the standards we are supposed to find beautiful.
Why are you interested in the Baroque?
The Baroque painting depicts Saint Teresa being pierced by the angel’s arrow in a state of ecstatic and erotic rapture.
This contradicts the Christian faith, which asks us to choose between good and evil. The Baroque replaces “or” with “and.” It’s a principle that features in many of my works.
How did you get started as an artist?
I’ve always been involved in painting, sculpture, poetry, and theater.
At first I acted with a rebellious attitude, but as time went by my approach took shape.
Why do you have implants?
I originally had the idea of getting implants designed to enhance my cheekbones.
I put them on my frontal lobe, which “beauty” isn’t known for. I wanted to make a difference.
Why do you choose to work on your body?
I have always explored the status of the body in society and the political, social, and religious pressures that are imprinted on the body—particularly that of women.
Why do you do surgery ?
I’ve chosen to put a face on my face: I’m exploring figuration and refiguration. It’s a sfumato between presentation and representation.
I had the idea to recreate an image I really liked—not out of a need for plastic surgery, but to reinvent myself. I wanted to change my image in order to create new ones.
Why stage surgical procedures as performances?
The operating theatre was to be my artist’s studio, and its aesthetics were to be transformed in colorful and humorous ways.
I transform the operating room’s morbid atmosphere into a space for performance and life.
I had the idea of creating a film, videos, and photos based on surgical procedures.
Each operation was conceived based on a psychoanalytic, literary, or philosophical text, such as *La robe* by Eugénie Lemoine-Luccioni, or *Le Tiers Instruit* by Michel Serres.
Do you plan to do any more “surgical-performance” pieces?
I created a bust out of Carrara marble; however, that doesn’t mean I intend to spend my whole life making them.
I’m not interested in the material, but in the idea.
I try to find the right materiality to reveal the essence of the idea.
What do you think of cosmetic surgery?
I’m not against it; it’s a modern technique.
However, I am against the attempts at standardization and normalization that it embodies.
Why hybridize?
The idea is to blend differences so as to accept them.
To be in coexistence with the OTHER and I who is also another.
Why choose to create series?
Because there’s no one way to approach a theme; the series allows us to approach an idea from different angles.
What is your stance on motherhood?
I’m pretty radical on this issue. The Earth is overpopulated and overpolluted. One more child means more pollution, and having many children—as religions advocate—is extremely anachronistic.
This only creates more suffering. Everyone deals with this issue as they see fit, but bringing a human being into the world and onto our planet while resources are running out is a huge responsibility.
With contraception and abortion, women have the freedom to choose and to experience their sexuality for reasons other than reproduction.