My life as a work of art
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0:01 - 0:04My day starts just like yours.
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0:06 - 0:11(Laughter)
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0:11 - 0:13When I wake up in the morning,
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0:13 - 0:15I check my phone,
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0:15 - 0:16and then I have a cup of coffee.
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0:18 - 0:20But then my day truly starts.
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0:21 - 0:26It may not be like yours,
because I live my life as an artwork. -
0:28 - 0:33Picture yourself in a giant jewelry box
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0:33 - 0:36with all the beautiful things
that you have ever seen in your life. -
0:37 - 0:41Then imagine that your body is a canvas.
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0:43 - 0:44And on that canvas,
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0:44 - 0:49you have a mission to create a masterpiece
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0:49 - 0:52using the contents
of your giant jewelry box. -
0:54 - 0:57Once you've created your masterpiece,
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0:57 - 1:00you might think, "Wow, I created that.
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1:00 - 1:02This is who I am today."
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1:03 - 1:05Then you would pick up your house keys,
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1:05 - 1:07walk out the door into the real world,
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1:07 - 1:10maybe take public transport
to the center of the town ... -
1:12 - 1:15Possibly walk along the streets
or even go shopping. -
1:16 - 1:17That's my life, every day.
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1:19 - 1:20When I walk out the door,
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1:20 - 1:22these artworks are me.
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1:22 - 1:24I am art.
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1:26 - 1:30I have lived as art my entire adult life.
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1:30 - 1:33Living as art is how I became myself.
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1:34 - 1:38I was brought up in a small village
called Fillongley, in England, -
1:39 - 1:41and it was last mentioned
in the "Domesday Book," -
1:41 - 1:42so that's the mentality.
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1:42 - 1:44(Laughter)
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1:44 - 1:46I was raised by my grandparents,
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1:46 - 1:48and they were antiques dealers,
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1:48 - 1:52so I grew up surrounded
by history and beautiful things. -
1:53 - 1:54I had the most amazing dress-up box.
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1:55 - 1:58So as you can imagine, it started then.
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2:02 - 2:04I moved to London when I was 17
to become a model. -
2:06 - 2:08And then I went to study photography.
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2:09 - 2:11I wasn't really happy
with myself at the time, -
2:11 - 2:13so I was always looking for escapism.
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2:14 - 2:17I studied the works of David LaChapelle
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2:17 - 2:18and Steven Arnold,
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2:18 - 2:21photographers who both curated
and created worlds -
2:21 - 2:24that were mind-blowing to me.
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2:24 - 2:30So I decided one day to cross over
from the superficial fashion world -
2:30 - 2:32to the superficial art world.
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2:32 - 2:33(Laughter)
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2:33 - 2:36I decided to live my life
as a work of art. -
2:38 - 2:41I spend hours, sometimes
months, making things. -
2:42 - 2:45My go-to tool is a safety pin,
like this -- -
2:45 - 2:46(Laughter)
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2:46 - 2:47They're never big enough.
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2:48 - 2:49(Laughter)
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2:49 - 2:51And I use my fabrics time and time again,
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2:51 - 2:53so I recycle everything that I use.
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2:55 - 2:58When I get dressed I'm guided
by color, texture and shape. -
2:59 - 3:00I rarely have a theme.
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3:01 - 3:03I find beautiful objects
from all over the world, -
3:03 - 3:06and I curate them into 3-D tapestries
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3:06 - 3:09over a base layer that covers
my whole body shape ... -
3:09 - 3:11because I'm not very happy with my body.
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3:11 - 3:12(Laughs)
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3:12 - 3:14I ask myself, "Should I take something off
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3:14 - 3:16or should I put something on?
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3:16 - 3:18100 pieces, maybe?"
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3:18 - 3:19And sometimes, I do that.
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3:21 - 3:24I promise you it's not
too uncomfortable -- -
3:24 - 3:25well, just a little --
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3:25 - 3:26(Laughter)
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3:26 - 3:29I might have a safety pin
poking at me sometimes -
3:29 - 3:31when I'm having a conversation with you,
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3:31 - 3:32so I'll kind of go off --
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3:32 - 3:34(Laughter)
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3:35 - 3:39It usually takes me
about 20 minutes to get ready, -
3:39 - 3:41which nobody ever believes.
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3:42 - 3:43It's true --
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3:43 - 3:44sometimes.
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3:45 - 3:48So, it's my version
of a t-shirt and jeans. -
3:48 - 3:50(Laughter)
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3:50 - 3:52When I get dressed,
I build like an architect. -
3:53 - 3:56I carefully place things
till I feel they belong. -
3:56 - 3:59Then, I get a lot of my ideas
from lucid dreaming. -
3:59 - 4:02I actually go to sleep
to come up with my ideas, -
4:02 - 4:04and I've taught myself to wake up
to write them down. -
4:06 - 4:08I wear things till they fall apart,
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4:08 - 4:10and then, I give them a new life.
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4:11 - 4:12The gold outfit, for example --
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4:12 - 4:16it was the outfit that I wore
to the Houses of Parliament in London. -
4:17 - 4:20It's made of armor,
sequins and broken jewelry, -
4:20 - 4:23and I was the first person
to wear armor to Parliament -
4:23 - 4:26since Oliver Cromwell
banned it in the 17th century. -
4:27 - 4:30Things don't need
to be expensive to be beautiful. -
4:30 - 4:35Try making outfits out of bin liners
or trash you found out on the streets. -
4:35 - 4:36You never know,
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4:36 - 4:39they might end up on the pages of "Vogue."
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4:40 - 4:42There's over 6,000 pieces
in my collection, -
4:42 - 4:46ranging from 2,000-year-old Roman rings
to ancient Buddhist artifacts. -
4:47 - 4:50I believe in sharing what I do
and what I have with others, -
4:50 - 4:53so I decided to create an art exhibition,
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4:53 - 4:56which is currently traveling
to museums around the world. -
4:57 - 4:59It contains an army of me --
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4:59 - 5:01life-size sculptures
as you can see behind me, -
5:02 - 5:03they're here --
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5:03 - 5:04they are my life, really.
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5:04 - 5:07They're kind of like 3-D tapestries
of my existence as living as art. -
5:07 - 5:10They contain plastic crystals
mixed with diamonds, -
5:10 - 5:12beer cans and royal silks all in one look.
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5:13 - 5:16I like the fact that the viewer
can never make the assumption -
5:16 - 5:17about what's real and what's fake.
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5:18 - 5:22I find it important to explore and share
cultures through my works. -
5:24 - 5:26I use clothing as a means to investigate
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5:26 - 5:29and appreciate people
from all over the world. -
5:30 - 5:35Sometimes, people think
I'm a performer or a drag queen. -
5:36 - 5:37I'm not.
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5:37 - 5:41Although my life appears
to be a performance, -
5:41 - 5:42it's not.
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5:42 - 5:44It's very real.
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5:45 - 5:48People respond to me as they would
any other type of artwork. -
5:48 - 5:51Many people are fascinated and engaged.
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5:52 - 5:55Some people walk around me,
staring, shy at first. -
5:55 - 5:59Then they come up to me and they say
they love or absolutely hate what I do. -
6:00 - 6:04I sometimes respond, and other times
I let the art talk for itself. -
6:06 - 6:10The most annoying thing in the world
is when people want to touch the artwork. -
6:11 - 6:12But I understand.
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6:13 - 6:15But like a lot of contemporary art,
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6:15 - 6:16many people are dismissive.
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6:16 - 6:18Some people are critical,
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6:18 - 6:19others are abusive.
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6:20 - 6:23I think it comes from
the fear of the different -- -
6:23 - 6:24the unknown.
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6:24 - 6:27There are so many reactions to what I do,
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6:27 - 6:30and I've just learned
not to take them personally. -
6:31 - 6:33I've never lived
as Daniel Lismore, the person. -
6:33 - 6:35I've lived as Daniel Lismore, the artwork.
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6:36 - 6:39And I've faced every
obstacle as an artwork. -
6:40 - 6:42It can be hard ...
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6:42 - 6:46especially if your wardrobe
takes up a 40-foot container, -
6:46 - 6:49three storage units
and 30 boxes from IKEA -- -
6:49 - 6:51(Laughter)
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6:51 - 6:55and sometimes, it can be
very difficult, getting into cars, -
6:55 - 6:56and sometimes --
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6:56 - 6:59well, this morning I didn't fit
through my bathroom door, -
6:59 - 7:00so that was a problem.
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7:00 - 7:02(Laughter)
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7:02 - 7:04What does it mean to be yourself?
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7:04 - 7:06People say it all the time,
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7:06 - 7:08but what does it truly mean,
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7:08 - 7:09and why does it matter?
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7:10 - 7:14How does life change when you choose
to be unapologetically yourself? -
7:17 - 7:20I've had to face struggles
and triumphs whilst living my life as art. -
7:20 - 7:23I've been put on private jets
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7:23 - 7:24and flown around the world.
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7:25 - 7:27My work's been displayed
in prestigious museums, -
7:27 - 7:28and I've had the opportunity --
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7:28 - 7:31that is my grandparents, by the way,
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7:31 - 7:33they're the people that raised me,
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7:33 - 7:34and there I am --
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7:34 - 7:35(Laughs)
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7:35 - 7:41(Applause)
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7:41 - 7:44So I've been put on private jets,
flown around the world, -
7:44 - 7:46and yet, it's not been that easy
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7:46 - 7:49because at times, I've been homeless,
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7:49 - 7:50I've been spat at,
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7:50 - 7:52I've been abused, sometimes daily,
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7:52 - 7:54bullied my entire life,
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7:54 - 7:56rejected by countless individuals,
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7:57 - 7:58and I've been stabbed.
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7:58 - 8:00But what hurt the most
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8:00 - 8:03was being put on the "Worst Dressed" list.
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8:03 - 8:06(Laughter)
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8:06 - 8:08It can be hard, being yourself,
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8:08 - 8:10but I've found it's the best way.
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8:10 - 8:11There's the "Worst Dressed."
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8:11 - 8:13(Laughs)
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8:14 - 8:16As the quote goes,
"Everyone else is already taken." -
8:17 - 8:20I've come to realize that confidence
is a concept you can choose. -
8:21 - 8:25I've come to realize that authenticity
is necessary, and it's powerful. -
8:26 - 8:29I've tried to spend time
being like other people. -
8:30 - 8:31It didn't work.
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8:31 - 8:34It's a lot of hard work,
not being yourself. -
8:36 - 8:37I have a few questions for you all.
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8:39 - 8:40Who are you?
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8:41 - 8:43How many versions of you are there?
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8:44 - 8:46And I have one final question:
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8:47 - 8:50Are you using them all to your advantage?
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8:52 - 8:55In reality, everyone is capable
of creating their own masterpiece. -
8:56 - 8:58You should try it sometime.
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8:58 - 8:59It's quite fun.
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8:59 - 9:01Thank you.
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9:01 - 9:06(Applause and cheers)
- Title:
- My life as a work of art
- Speaker:
- Daniel Lismore
- Description:
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Daniel Lismore's closet is probably a bit different than yours -- his clothes are constructed out of materials ranging from beer cans and plastic crystals to diamonds, royal silks and 2,000-year-old Roman rings. In this striking talk, Lismore shares the vision behind his elaborate ensembles and explores what it's like to live life as an artwork. "Everyone is capable of creating their own masterpiece," he says. "You should try it sometime."
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TEDTalks
- Duration:
- 09:19
Oliver Friedman edited English subtitles for My life as a work of art | ||
Oliver Friedman edited English subtitles for My life as a work of art | ||
Brian Greene approved English subtitles for My life as a work of art | ||
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for My life as a work of art | ||
Krystian Aparta accepted English subtitles for My life as a work of art | ||
Krystian Aparta edited English subtitles for My life as a work of art | ||
Krystian Aparta edited English subtitles for My life as a work of art | ||
Leslie Gauthier edited English subtitles for My life as a work of art |