Lynn Hershman Leeson

Hershman Lesson explores key issues of our society, such as identity, surveillance, and the relationship between humans and technology. The artwork titled Roberta Breitmore involves the artist-created fictional persona that became increasingly tangible in 1973 by the character undertaking routine life experiences like checking into a hotel, opening a bank account, renting a home, and finding a roommate.

Lynn Hershman Leeson devoted meticulous attention to designing every element of Roberta Breitmore's persona, from her attire and cosmetics to her body language, speech patterns, and handwriting. Hershman Leeson documented Breitmore's activities and actions through 144 drawings and photographs. The performance was ultimately concluded in 1978 at the Palazzo dei Diamanti in Ferrara, Italy, with an exorcism ritual held in the crypt of Lucrezia Borgia.

(Image reference: Roberta’s Construction Chart #2, 1975. Photography, digital pigment print. 63.8 × 50 cm. Courtesy of the artist, Bridget Donahue, New York and Anglim Gilbert Gallery, San Francisco.
Lynn Hershman Leeson as Roberta Breitmore, 1978. Production still from the Art in the Twenty-First Century Season 9 episode, San Francisco Bay Area.)