Sturtevant was a visual artist, who was based for the longest part of her career in New York. In the 1960s Elaine Sturtevant began operating an art practice in which she meticulously copied selected works of her male colleagues. Her practice was a critique of the culture of the art world in which she was working, one that was dominated by the concept of the lone genius, autonomous, white male creator. From the beginning she dropped her first name to subvert the concept of the identity of a female artist. In Hainley’s study he recalls the early performances by Sturtevant including The Store of Claes Oldenburg, Picabias’ Ballet Relache and the ambiguous reception of her work at the time.