Art Review California performance artist Bonnie Ora Sherk was a cultural trickster and proactive spoiler in the business of everyday life.

October 26, 2026 — 5 min read

Bonnie Ora Sherk, "Sitting Still" (1970), projection of Kodachrome photograph (all photos Brian Karl/ Hyperallergic )

SANTA BARBARA — People didn’t always live in cities. It became more of the norm as asphalt and concrete covered dirt, and highways and overpasses became the infrastructure for commuting and delivering food and supplies. Bonnie Ora Sherk (1945–2021) spent four decades as an artist, landscape designer, and educator challenging the assumptions that underpin city life. Through her creative projects, Sherk consistently proposed new models of social relations.…