Kardinal, from 1967, is a video by Austrian artist, Otto Muehl. Muehl uses the body in a number of ways, most interestingly as a canvas to paint on. Performance is incorporated into his paintings to create a live ness to the work. He layers different materials on the head of the participants to transform them into a type of living Jackson Pollock painting. The layers appear at first viewing to be random, but are actually strategically layered to create volume and mass. With each additional layer the figure becomes a new painting.

Sexuality is another component to Muehl’s work. He incorporates his live paintings with ritualistic orgies to create an ever-changing scene. He continues to paint on the participants of the orgy while it is happening to create a new painting with every smear.

Muehl was a member of the Vienna Actionists. Other prominent film and performance artists of this group include Gunter Brus, Hermann Nitsch, and Rudolf Schwarzkogler. These artists are probably best remembered for the willful transgression of naked bodies and violence. Many participants of these performances were imprisoned by the state for short periods of time because of their violations of decency laws.

The Actionists wrote a manifesto, which was primarily written by Muehl. One of its tenant’s states: “Material action is painting that has spread beyond the picture surface. The human body, a laid table or a room becomes the picture surface. Time is added to the dimension of the body and space”.