Barbara T. Smith

Born in Pasadena, California in 1931, she returned to art after raising three children, studying at Chouinard Art Institute and receiving an MFA from UC Irvine in 1971. A pioneer of West Coast performance art, her work from the 1960s onward engaged the body, food, sexuality, and spirituality. Notable works include Ritual Meal (1969), in which guests ate with surgical instruments while wearing scrubs, and Feed Me (1973), a durational solo performance exploring intimacy and need. Her work is held at the Getty Museum, the Hammer Museum, and LACMA.