Eleanor Antin 100 Boots Wool Cap

Immerse yourself in the world of artistry and innovation as we introduce you to a limited collection of exquisite woolen hats. Crafted with precision and care, only 20 hats of each color have been meticulously created, making them truly exclusive. These exceptional pieces are currently on display at the MCASD, where you can witness the seamless fusion of art and fashion. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the brilliant Boot Boyz for their exceptional design.

Eleanor Antin, a luminary in the annals of performance art history, stands as one of the most prolific artists of the past three decades. Her creative journey spans across diverse media, including live performances, immersive installations, independent film, photography, video, drawing, painting, and the written word. Originating as a Conceptual artist in the 1960s, Antin has played a pivotal role in expanding feminist art through unconventional narrative forms, delving into biography, autobiography, and the creation of alter-egos or personas. Her nomadic exploration of various media has allowed her to delve deeply into themes of self, gender, race, culture, and Jewish identity.

Eleanor Fineman, born in the Bronx, New York in 1935, was immersed in a world of leftist, Russian, Polish, and Jewish intelligentsia. Her parents, Sol Fineman and Jeanette Efron, were both remarkable individuals with a deep connection to their cultural roots. Antin's journey in the world of art began at City College of New York, where she received a degree in creative writing and art in 1958. It was there that she met David Antin, a poet and writer who would later gain recognition as an art critic. Their union in 1961 led to a transformative move from New York to Southern California in 1968, where David accepted a faculty position at the University of California in San Diego, bringing along their son, Blaise.

Eleanor Antin vividly recalls the era when Conceptual art was pushing the boundaries of artistic expression. "Conceptual art was opening up the possibility to cross mediums, cross genres, cross boundaries all over the place, to do something intelligent and fun, amusing, startling," she reflects. In 1971, Antin embarked on her iconic Conceptual work, "100 Boots," a visually captivating narrative that emerged from her desire to create art that endured beyond the fleeting gallery exhibitions of New York. She conceived a "mailwork," akin to a picaresque novel delivered serially, much like the works of Charles Dickens. This unique artistic endeavor starred a "hero" in the form of one hundred black rubber gum boots, affectionately referred to by Antin using masculine pronouns.

Philip Steinmetz captured the remarkable journey of these 100 Boots as they voyaged from California to New York. This odyssey culminated in a summer exhibition in 1973 at the Museum of Modern Art, where fifty-one black-and-white postcards, featuring the boots, were mailed to a thousand art critics and enthusiasts worldwide. In a groundbreaking move, Antin revolutionized the conventional gallery distribution system by utilizing the postal system for the widespread distribution of her art. She stands as the pioneer Conceptual artist who harmoniously combined serial imagery and a fictional narrative within an extended artistic event that spanned an awe-inspiring two and a half years.