Suzanne Lacy, Edna_____, May Victor, Mary_________ (Los Angeles, 1976)

At the annual College Art Association conference, sometimes compared to a “meat market” for young artists seeking teaching jobs, Lacy performed an all night performance broadcast live over closed circuit television to all the rooms in the Hilton Hotel. All night the camera, installed in a hotel room, was trained on Lacy. Made up as an elderly woman, she sat, stood to sort through various artifacts on a dresser, and periodically tended a bedridden body concealed by covers.

A sporadic monologue from older women (Edna et al) periodically ruminated on aging, the body, and death. Occasionally the program was interrupted by a command: “Talk if you must, but please stay tuned,” or “Sleep if you must, but please stay tuned.” In the early hours of the morning Lacy finally lifted the body, a lamb carcass, out of the bed, placed it on her chair, and climbed in bed in its place to sleep. The cameras stayed trained on her while the monologues continued. Later people staying at the hotel reported on the dream-invasion caused by leaving the televised performance on all night.

In a subsequent performance: At the breakfast hour, Lacy joined David Ross in the hotel room next door on his “CAA Talk Show,” featuring interviews with artists such as Linda Montano and Harry Kipper. After reporting on Benediction Piece she presented “Lamb Chop” a puppet with the lamb carcass head and a little furry body, operated from behind the couch by Susan Mogul, who bleeted out the sad tale of seeking work at the CAA.