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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons.

Bed piece, 1972

by Chris Burden

Bed piece, 1972

video still
Courtesy Electronic Arts Intermix (EAI), New York

Related information

Video still from Documentation of Selected Works, 1971-74 by Chris Burden
Video still from Documentation of Selected Works, 1971-74 by Chris Burden
Video still from Documentation of Selected Works, 1971-74 by Chris Burden
Video still from Documentation of Selected Works, 1971-74 by Chris Burden

Danger boy

About Face article

27 June 2016

I didn’t ever meet the American artist Chris Burden but about 20 years ago I wrote to him. I was after the loan of some photographic prints of his most famous performance: he had arranged for a friend to fire a bullet so it would graze his arm.
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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

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