Visual artist, she studied sculpture and painting at the Newcomb College and the Brooklyn Museum School. Influenced by the works of such artists as Jackson Pollock, Barnett Newman, and Franz Kline, she pioneered a form of abstraction in which every piece is the result of materials in action—poured latex and foam, zinc-plated metal, dripped wax—creating sculptures that avoid minimalism in favor of bold colors, sensuous lines, and lyrical references to the human body. Benglis also produced video works based on performances of the 1970s that address the issues raised by feminist theory, including female representation, the role of the viewer, and female sexuality. Her work has featured on such institutions and shows as the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; Tate Modern, London; New York’s Museum of Modern Art; the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; and the 39th Venice Biennale. Benglis has taught at the University of Arizona, Yale University, Princeton University, and the California Institute of the Arts. She lives and works in New York.