With 1971's Shoot, Chris Burden became one of the most intriguing conceptual artists of the last century. In said piece a friend of Burden's aimed a loaded 22 caliber rifle at Chris' arm in a gallery type setting and fired. The bullet, which by Mr. Burden's account was supposed to only graze him, passed through his arm leaving a smoking hole.
Some of his other memorable works include Through the Night Softly, which involved him wearing only briefs with his hands behind his back crawling on a floor covered with broken glass recorded in black and white. Truly haunting. In another work Doorway To Heaven, he held live electrical wires to his chest. In Transfixed he sort of crucified himself to the top of a Volkswagen beetle with nails driven through his hands.
If you ever get a chance to see any of his books in a library check them out, there are more surprising works to be seen. He is now a professor at UCLA and still does conceptual art, but doesn't seem to use his body in the pieces any longer.