Eleanor Antin

Eleanor Antin

Conceptual Work• Eleanor Antin’s work focuses on the identity, femininity and

the roles od women, the passage of time and history, and humor.

• Some of her work deals with different periods of time (mostly ancient Greece)

• Her works are done by performance, photography, film and video.

• -She describes her work and humorous and creating histories. She has also written books and produced and directed films.

Works- First work called “Blood of a Poet”- -Displayed the blood of 100 dead poets- A play on the thought of artists being poets-Includes poets Allen Ginsberg, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Barbara Guest, Jerome Rothenberg, and Yvonne Rainer.

Carving: a traditional Sculpture- Antin went on a crash diet for 37 days photographing her body every

morning, until it produced 18 photographs. She lost 10 pounds.

- She was acting as both the sculptor and the piece itself, “carving” out a women like Greek sculptures.

- showcasing the pressure that is put on women in society

Caught in the Act• A series of photographs of Antin being a ballerina in multiple poses

• It is also accompanied by a video playing that shows that her poses were somewhat fake. It shows she needed a stick to get her balance before taking the photo.

Selves• - A series currently beings shown at Columbia University, of a compilation of

Antin’s works where she takes on different identities through video and photography.

• All of these pieces deal with social and political issues, pathos, and comedy

Portrait of the King

The two Eleanors

Love’s Shadow

The Last Days of Pompeii• One of Antin’s most popular works• A series of photographs of Pompeii before the destruction• shows fictional scenes from Pompeii of Antin’s choosing where the people

live happy, innocent lives with the edge of dark disaster at there door.• She relates this to some current situations now (she took inspiration from

the city of La Jolla)

The Death of Petronious

The Last Days of Pompeii

The Slave Sale

The Artist’s Studio

The last Days of Pompeii

The Golden Death

The Last Day

100 Boots• - 100 boots is made up of 50 pairs of black boots, she took 51

pictures in different locations and turned the pictures into postcards that she sent to about 1000 random people for about 2 ½ years.

• -Antin never set a specific meaning with the work so many people interpreted in different ways, giving it deeper meaning.

• - the boots represent wandering for meaning, and some photos tell the story of men looking for work and then getting released from the job. It shows the ups and downs of life.

100 Boots

100 Boots at the Bank

100 Boots go to Church

100 Boots100 Boots on the Job

100 Boots out of a Job

100 Boots100 Boots Turn the Corner

100 Boots go on Vacation