I first encountered Eleanor Antin at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). The museum was hosting an exhibition of her art in the part of the museum that regularly features temporary exhibitions. Two components of her installation amazed and seduced me: one was a conversation with her mother. The words of her conversation were written by hand in one long line of text along a long, long wall. Above the single line of text was a red line, like that of a chart, that rose and fell with the state of her emotions above the words. The red line was a graph of her emotional state as she spoke the words; it was like a conductor’s score for a book. And below the words, in blue, was a blue line charting the emotional state of her mother. It was an enthralling piece.
Another part of her exhibition was “100 Boots” and it was an incredible delight. I welcome visual art WITH INTEGRITY that also has a sense of humour. Eleanor Antin is, to me, an ambassador for contemporary art. She is accessible, insightful and delightful. She appeals to a sophisticated audience and to a general audience, making many people fans of museum installations.
See a PBS video about her current work “recreating histories.”
Get a hint about 100 Boots from PBS.
Google her name for more information.
And if you can ever see one of her exhibitions, don’t miss it.
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