Interview With Belinda Burger, The "Googly Eyes" Artist

The Mysterious M,
Times Staff

Artist. Provocateur. Feminist. Experimenter. Activist. This is Belinda Burger, known in most art circles as the “Googly Eyes Artist.” A controversial figure in the art world, Burger has been banned by the MFA and expelled from the Art Institute of Chicago. Marina Abramović punched her in the face. Her work has been known to cause incontinence and her shows are infamous for passing out barf bags to attendees.

In her first-ever public interview, Burger talks to the Surreal Times about her art, her inspiration and the surrounding controversy regarding her most famous exhibit. Burger shows up 45 minutes late for the Zoom interview. She half-apologizes and blames her lateness on “traffic.” She is wearing coal-black lipstick and deep red eyeshadow. Her dress is sewn together from old Weekly World News clippings and her hat is made from the carcass of a dead crow. A perpetually lit cigarette is held between the fingers of her left hand, although she never once takes a drag from it. Halfway through our conversation, I realize she hasn’t blinked the entire time. Burger speaks to me from her personal studio, which she has decorated to look like the inside of Alcatraz. The entire conversation lasts only 5 minutes.

TRANSCRIPT:

M: So, you’re known as the “Googly Eyes Artist.” Can you explain that title?

BURGER: The name came from my first art gallery show back in January. At that time, I wanted to challenge notions of masculinity. I felt isolated as a woman in a field dominated by men. Not just male artists, but male critics, male agents, and male exhibitors. I wanted to put femininity on display in a way that would shock the patriarchal establishment and have them question their own perceptions of womanhood. The idea was to take something that was fiercely tied to a woman’s perceived role in a patriarchal society, something that has been culturally deemed to be “ugly” or “disgusting,” and I wanted to have that so-called “ugliness” literally stare back into society.

M: What did you do?

BURGER: I glued Googly Eyes on a woman’s placenta.

M: And what was the response?

BURGER: People hated it at first, called it “repulsive” and “exploitative.” One critic said it gave him an irrational fear of pregnant women.

M: Was this the response you were looking for?

BURGER: It was the response I expected, anyway. However, a majority of men had never seen a placenta before, so the piece only confused them. They thought it was just a raw pork chop.

M: Do you think the Googly Eyes played a major role in the effectiveness of the piece?

BURGER: Without the Googly Eyes, the piece would be nothing. I thought of it like a feminist Mona Lisa, in that the eyes would follow you wherever you go. If the piece was only a woman’s placenta, it would be nothing more than another “found object” piece and have absolutely no impact.

M: It’s almost as if the piece is femininity examining society instead of the other way around.

BURGER: Exactly. The placenta is watching you, judging you and examining your society.

M: That’s incredible. Thank you for talking with me, Ms. Burger. Now, before I let you return to your work is there anything you want to say to young aspiring artists who may be reading this?

BURGER: Yes. If you choose to become an artist, you will struggle with heartbreak and hardship. So-called “experts” will constantly speculate and criticize your work but only make biased superficial judgments. Faceless authority figures will try to rip your entire life apart. Some days, you will feel absolutely powerless. Remember this: never let anyone tell you that you can’t put googly eyes on things.

For more articles by The Mysterious M, click here. To get in touch with this writer, email m@surreaptimes.net.

Comments

[Whimsical Tight Bitch @Nov.22 11:33pm]: As a feminist I agree with Ms. Burger and her altruistic response. My potato chips were infilled by the end of her interview.

[Whimsical Tight Bitch @Nov.22 11:33pm]: As a feminist I agree with Ms. Burger and her altruistic response. My potato chips were infilled by the end of her interview.



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