An MCA retrospective of a career spanning half a century is the occasion for a conversation with the artist and her curator, Elizabeth Smith.
One recent afternoon the artist sat for an interview in the MCA cafe. Joining her was Elizabeth A.T. Smith, the MCA’s chief curator.
MT: The work that you saw was the big constructions done in the 60s?
MT: Why?
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MT: She was just one other person sending you notes and leaving messages for you?
MT: What year was this?
LB: I had this work, the new work, and those pieces were mainly finished. I’d worked on all of them at once practically, except for the little ones, but then I got really sick. I mean really sick to the point of “Well, maybe I’ll make it or maybe I won’t,” and then I realized I can’t leave this stuff for Vallie and my husband to deal with if I have to get out of here. So it just happened.