Chris Burden was a seminal American performance artist. His controversial works of art often involved putting himself in physical danger or extreme discomfort, most memorably in his iconic Shoot (1971) performance. After gathering bystanders in a gallery, he was shot in the left bicep by a .22 caliber rifle by a friend—daring his audience to intervene in a performance that has often been interpreted as a response to passivity in the face of the ongoing Vietnam War. “I had an intuitive sense that being shot is as American as apple pie,” Burden said. “We see people being shot on TV, we read about it in the newspaper. Everybody has wondered what it's like. So I did it.” Other notable projects included Trans-Fixed ...