born June 5, 1947, Wayne, Ill., U.S.
U.S. performance artist.
After studying at Barnard College and Columbia University, she began giving performances in New York City in 1973 while teaching art history at the City University of New York. Combining elements of music, theatre (dance, mime), film, technology, and speech, she satirized media and mass culture, using the tools they themselves provide. The pop-music success of her song "O Superman" (1980) led her to record two albums, Big Science (1982) and Mister Heartbreak (1984). Her major 1980s piece was the multimedia extravaganza United States . Other works include Stories from the Nerve Bible (1993) and a multimedia work (1999) based on Moby Dick .