Art as a Performance Act & The Fantasy Beyond Control

Lynn Herchann introduced me to a new perspective on how audiences interact with art. This subjective aspect of art, how those viewing it actively change the performance or work, has never been too highly regarded as an ideological approach to me. However, it does have some merit that I cannot easily brush aside. The example of games was an extremely powerful way of making her point. I started to think about how the virtual world is much more accommodating to this outlook, an opinion I kept while reading the second article. The intersection of the two writings had me thinking of the all great, all powerful Gorillaz.
The brainchild of a two british artist, this virtual band has four members which are constant and yet the actual, flesh and blood artist behind their music is ever changing. They are just plain odd. And yet, due to how their fans, or better yet and listener, view them, they do in fact exist. Our suspension of logic to accept these ridiculous characters as a real group makes them a real group. So much so as to garner them a coveted spot on MTV Cribs. Not only do fans come to learn about these four separate, fleshed out individuals, but also the world in which they inhabit. The mystical and surreal virtual world of the Gorillaz offer just as much artistic influence over participants as the band and their music. Symbolism abounds in the many music videos of the group, most notably Clint Eastwood, Do Ya Thing, and Feel Good Inc.
Entrenched in the internet centered world of the late 90s and the 2000s, the band and their music centers on a lot with rebellious punk-rock and hip hop ideals including unrelenting partying, identity, and opposing the status quo. This emphasis on the internet is a major part of the bands representation, as the creators put a tremendous amount of resources in the ability for fans to explore the Gorillaz's world via computers and easter-egg videos. Whether just fun animations or serious examinations of the music industry and popular culture, these digital creatures are really just hulls that, in the modern world, fans can more easily mold into the perfect band in their own minds.