Artforum

Eleanor Antin on Feminism and American Empire | INTERVIEWS

The interview centers on artist Eleanor Antin’s evolution from a New York‑based figure to a pivotal presence in Southern California’s academic and feminist performance circles. After teaching at UC Irvine and UC San Diego, she embedded herself in a vibrant community that included musicians, performance artists, and pioneering feminists such as Judy Chicago and Linda Montano. Antin describes how she staged expansive productions—often employing 40‑person ensembles, large puppets, and paper‑doll characters she invented herself. She recounts the practical hurdles of coordinating remote printing, FedEx deliveries, and dialect work, noting that these logistical strains eventually pushed her toward memoir writing. Her artistic practice remained rooted in a fascination with ancient Greece and Rome, which she uses as a lens to critique contemporary power structures. A striking moment comes when Antin equates the United States to a “decaying Roman empire,” invoking the image of Pompeii’s affluent yet precariously situated citizens to illustrate America’s wealth perched on looming disaster. She also humorously admits her poor dialect skills, underscoring the performative trial-and-error inherent in her work. Antin’s reflections highlight how feminist performance art can serve as both a personal narrative and a broader geopolitical commentary. Her synthesis of historical analogy, large‑scale collaboration, and autobiographical writing offers a template for artists seeking to interrogate empire, gender, and cultural production in today’s volatile climate.