The Fartiste: Joseph Pujol and the Absurdity of Performance Joseph Pujol, a name perhaps initially met with bewilderment, deserves recognition as a truly unique figure in 19th-century entertainment. Born in Marseille in 1857, he wasn’t a painter or sculptor, but a performer who weaponized his own bodily functions – specifically, flatulence – to achieve astonishing success. Known affectionately (and sometimes derisively) as “Le Pétomane,” meaning “The Fartiste,” Pujol’s story is one of accidental discovery, shrewd self-promotion, and a surprising ability to transform the bizarre into captivat…