Stuart Brisley

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Stuart Brisley (born in 1933 in Haslemere, England) is widely regarded as the godfather of British performance art. Obtaining notoriety during the 1960s and 1970s, his work dealt with challenging the human body in a physical, psychological and emotional manner, and often used faeces as the subject or a material in the construction of his work. He has been a prolific writer, painter, performer, educator and contributor to the British arts scene and has recently helped form the UK Museum of Ordure.

In 1968, Brisley helped lead the Hornsey Sit-in, in protest of teaching practices common at British Art schools. This protest helped him gain a reputation for challenging norms, and his appointment as professor of Media Fine Art Graduate Studies at the Slade School of Art, part of the University College London, was and remains unique in that he was the only staff member to be appointed by the students alone. In 1976, Brisley initiated an archive of the living memories of the inhabitants of Peterlee in County Durham, a project which has recently been revived with the help of fellow artist Tim Brennan.