Michel Journiac was a prominent French visual artist known for his work in body art (art corporel), photography, sculpture, and performance. Born in Paris in 1935, he studied theology and aesthetics before pursuing an artistic career characterized by subversive actions that challenged social norms, taboos, and gender roles. His early works featured abstract paintings with red forms evoking flesh, but he quickly moved into performances involving his own body—often using blood or ritualistic elements to explore themes of identity, sexuality, and the human condition. He was a significant figure in the French avant-garde, exploring concepts such as transvestism and psychoanalysis through visual media. Journiac held various academic positions as a professor of plastic arts and history of art before his death in 1995.[5]
Le Sang nu1968 · Éditions Rougerie · book · frPréface de Jean Cassou
L’Objet du corps et le corps de l’objet1972 · Institut de l'environnement · book · fr
24 heures dans la vie d’une femme ordinaire1974 · Arthur Hubschmid · book · frBased on a photographic performance where the artist dressed as a woman to perform everyday tasks.
Délit du corps1978 · La Différence · book · fr
Contrat pour un corps1994 · Feu · book · frWith Jean Daviot and Bernard Marcadé
Écrits2013 · Beaux-Arts de Paris Éditions · book · frISBN 9782840563990Collection « Écrits d'artistes »
Exhibitions
2004Michel Journiac, l’ossuaire de l’espritmusées de Strasbourg, Strasbourgsolo
2018Michel Journiac. Le Corps travestigalerie Christophe Gaillardsolo
