Episode #019: Eleanor Antin reveals the process behind her photographic series Helen's Odyssey (2007), in particular the work The Tourists (2007) which recasts the destruction of Troy in the southern California desert.

An influential performance artist, filmmaker, photographer, and installation artist, Eleanor Antin delves into history—whether of ancient Rome, the Crimean War, the salons of nineteenth-century Europe, or her own Jewish heritage and Yiddish culture—as a way to explore the present. Antin is a cultural chameleon, masquerading in theatrical or stage roles to expose her many selves.

SEE: More images, videos, and news for Eleanor Antin.

LEARN: Eleanor Antin is featured in the Season 2 (2003) episode Humor of the Art:21—Art in the Twenty-First Century television series on PBS.

DISCUSS: What do you think about this video? Leave a comment!

Learn more about Eleanor Antin: http://www.art21.org/artists/eleanor-antin

VIDEO | Producer: Wesley Miller & Nick Ravich. Camera & Sound: Larissa Nikola-Lisa. Additional Footage: Daniel Martinico. Editor: Jennifer Chiurco. Artwork courtesy: Eleanor Antin. Thanks: Ronald Feldman Fine Arts.