Acconci the Aggresor

This piece was very disturbing to me. Acconci’s knack for displaying aggression was vividly exposed in Pryings. The discolorations in the background also seemed like there was a source exuding a bright light, which could be a reason why the woman was closing her eyes so tightly. The sounds of Acconci’s heavy breathing also contribute to the increasing tension coming from the couple as Acconci tries so desperately to open the woman’s eyes. In the beginning, she seemed a little passive when Acconci executed his first attempts—she seemed unconscious, as if trying to maintain some kind of peace throughout this rough ordeal. There were also times in which I thought I saw Acconci kissing the woman’s eye or part of her face. This led me to believe that there was some possibility of a romantic relationship going on. The act and movements that were displayed in this video also reminded me of a dramatic Shakespearean play because of the way he holds her and how he wipes her hair away from her face. Acconci’s hands were the main tools in his act of aggression—they were placed all over her face, which seemed surpassed my expectations of his ability to display violence. With all of Acconci’s videos, he consistently tries to push boundaries as an actor to agitate and astonish the audience.
After watching Pryings, I came to the realization that maybe Acconci’s purpose for creating this video was a metaphor for his attempts at opening people’s eyes to a different and daring type of video art. He is constantly trying to force us to watch things we would not want to watch or experience. By turning on the television, he makes the most out of his time in front of you by presenting this act of aggression to capture your attention—as if you were a nosy bystander.