Eleanor Antin, 'Untitled (from The King of Solana Beach),' 1974-75, Black and white photograph ©Eleanor Antin
Eleanor Antin uses fictional characters, narrative and autobiography to invent histories. In her performance-based video works, Antin uses role- playing and artifice as conceptual devices, adopting archetypal personae in her theatrical dramatizations of identity and representation.
“I think that the idea of ‘passing through' has been a trope of mine throughout my career as an artist. From portraits of people made out of consumer goods - their decay built into them - through 100 Boots just passing through, or my deposed King passing the hat around to raise money to start a revolution against the developers...I've journeyed with my fellow passengers on our trip to nowhere."