There are actually quite a few people who do suspension, from all parts of their bodies, and I don't think they consider it "art." They are frequently parts of performances, or people come to watch just by the nature of the activity, but it isn't something one would see in a gallery. Some of his pieces were more dramatic--such as flying over a city on a crane--or they involved other objects (Sitting/Swaying Event for Rock Suspension), but a number of them (Pull out / Pull up event for self-suspension, Event for lateral suspension, etc.)* seem to be basically what everyone else does, except with a conceptual description, and a title.
There are some similarities between recreational suspension and Stelarc's, however, which are very interesting.
There are many different reasons to suspend, from pure adrenaline or endorphin rush, to conquering ones fears, to trying to reach a new level spiritual consciousness and everything in between. In general, people suspend to attain some sort of 'experience'.While a number of these reasons seem a lot more spiritual than Stelarc's goals, the last sentence in particular reminds me of him. The idea of proving that they are more than their bodies, or that their bodies are, as Stelarc would say, obsolete.
Some people are seeking the opportunity to discover a deeper sense of themself and to challenge pre-determined belief systems which may not be true. Some are seeking a right of passage or a spiritual encounter to let go of the fear of not being whole or complete inside their body. Others are looking for control over their body, or seek to prove to themselves that they are more than their bodies, or are not their bodies at all.**
* Stelarc's suspension site: http://www.stelarc.va.com.au/suspens/suspens.html
** FAQ of the BME website: http://www.bmezine.com/ritual/susp-faq.html
If you want to see more photographs of suspension (be warned, they can be pretty gross) you can go to the BME gallery: http://www.bmezine.com/ritual/bme-ritu.html
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