PittsburghLive.com – By Kurt Shaw, Tribune-Review Art Critic
On Nov. 18, 1996, artist and doll maker Greer Lankton died in her Chicago apartment from an accidental drug overdose, a month after completing her installation “It’s All About ME, Not You” at the Mattress Factory.
A post-op transsexual who struggled with drug addiction and anorexia for many years, Lankton (1958-1996) eventually became sick and dependent on numerous prescription drugs. Her doll-filled installation included more than 200 empty prescription bottles covering a bed filled with an obviously gaunt and sickly self-portrait.