She does not feel much pain under these surgeries due to the anesthetic, but she is still awake during them. I debated whether the form of her work is art or just self- mutilation. I did not choose a side, but I spoke about how some think it is art and others do not. There were many people who viewed it in different ways. She has undergone as many as nine surgeries in her career for art, to alter her appearance. She is obsessed with changing her identities and loves to draw the viewer in to question her pictures. Some may perceive the images of gross, but it was simply her way of performing art, and she was the only one to do it this way. She tries to use images that question the standard of beauty. I decided to write about Orlan because I think she is a fascinating artist, and wanted to learn more about her and I have. But is it truly art? Read my essay and form your own answer to that question!