Linda M. Montano 1984: An Interview

Linda Montano (b. 1942) is an American performance and video artist.  At the source of’s work is her search for a personal harmony and balance. She seeks to synthesize the intuitive processes that transforms the private self with the rationality and pragmatism of the public persona, extending this synthesis to both art and life. Her avowed interest lies in "learning how to live better through life-like artworks," with personal growth evolving out of shared experience, role adoption, and ritual. 

In this interview with Lyn Blumenthal, Montano discusses her childhood, the influence of the Catholic church, its rituals, and the sources that lead to her subsequent performances, such as her year-long performance Art/Life (1983-84) in which Montano and Tehching Hsieh remained attached by an eight-foot rope. She describes her art as "finally jumping up on the pedestal and saying, 'I am the saint.'"

A historical interview originally recorded in 1984 and re-edited in 2007 with support from the Lyn Blumenthal Memorial Fund.