Museum of Conceptual Art (MOCA), 3rd floor, 86 3rd Street

Bonnie Sherk, Pig Sonata (17th August 1971)

Description

The pig, who had come from Half Moon Bay, was in the corner of the room, covered up, and no one knew that she was there. It was a very formal piece. I was dressed in an evening gown, and began the performance with an assistant, by emptying brown paper bags filled with earth, into the center of the performance area, making a very large pile. Then I watered down the earth and covered it with different kinds of food. I uncovered a white box that contained the pig and she followed me to this arena and ate the food. At that point I played a tape of pigs eating that I had made at her home. (Burnham and Sherk  1981: 66)