Artist Shana Moulton's other self, 'Cynthia,' seeks enlightenment through song, shopping and exercise.

Performing the misadventures of her semi-autobiographical alter ego, artist Shana Moulton has drawn attention in the field of new media studies. Over two decades, Moulton, a professor of time-based arts at UC Santa Barbara, has used physical comedy to interpret her artistic creation, "Cynthia," a wide-eyed ingénue.

In Moulton's performance, video and sculpture series, "Whispering Pines" — named after the trailer park in Central California where Moulton grew up — Cynthia often sports a housecoat or spandex and seeks enlightenment through exercise and shopping.

Most recently, Moulton presented an extension of "Whispering Pines" — "Meta/Physical Therapy" — at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. (While the work was on view, from Feb. 17 to April 21, 2024, the museum's overall attendance was close to half a million people.)


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