The ballerina and the bum
1974
- Credit Line
- National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased, 1975
- Gallery location
- Not on display
About this work
Since the 1960s Eleanor Antin has explored contemporary culture from a feminist perspective, often blurring the distinctions between art, performance and theatre. Antin studied dance for several months in order to play the ballerina character in this video work. For Antin the ballerina character represented a kind of marginalised figure who, like an artist, is also idealised. In the work, the ambitious ballerina is journeying across the United States to get to New York, the ‘city of dreams’. Along the way she meets a fellow outcast, the ‘bum’ character, and they share their dreams of success. A parody, the work also skewers the notion of the American dream – that success can be won through determination and talent.
Artwork Details
Purchased, 1975