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 a work of art. "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 |