Greer Lankton (April 21, 1958 – November 18, 1996), was an American transgender artist known for creating lifelike sewn dolls that were often modeled on friends or celebrities and posed in elaborate theatrical settings.

Greer also credits the work of Jean Genet, William S. Burroughs, Patti Smith, and late 19th century Symbolists and Decadents among her creative influences.

These include a 1989 doll of Diana Vreeland that was commissioned for a window display at Barney's[3] as well as shrines to her icons, such as Candy Darling.

Critic Roberta Smith described her works in the New York Times as: "Beautifully sewn, with extravagant clothes, make-up and hairstyles, they were at once glamorous and grotesque and exuded intense, Expressionistic personalities that reminded some observers of Egon Schiele.

They presaged many of the concerns of '90s art, including the emphasis on the body, sexuality, fashion and, in their resemblance to puppets, performance.

"[1] She also had work in the prestigious Whitney Biennial and the Venice Biennale, both in 1995, where her busts of Candy Darling, circus fat ladies, and dismembered heads gained her notoriety.

The work is a replica of her apartment and features autobiographical drawings, dolls, plastic flowers, a religious shrine, and photographs of Greer.

In November 2014, "LOVE ME," a major exhibition of Lankton's work including more than 90 dolls, documentation, and ephemera was mounted at PARTICIPANT, INC in New York City.

[11] The poet Kay Gabriel writes for Artforum, "One page diagrams her life; a line stretches to a node titled “creation,” under which three more lines lead to “Dancing,” “Dollmaking,” and “cross-sex.” These nodes stand in contrast with the others on the page: “self torture,” “Mother,” and “Speeding up life to get it over with.” It’s an endearing moment of reflection from a young woman at a pivotal moment—pre-notoriety, weighing a sex change.

"[12] For Document Journal, the writer Journey Streams contextualized the book in relation to work by American trans women of the 1970s onwards: "Lankton’s words are both a preamble to and an echo of a tradition of subcultural, trans-related printed matter that circulated from the late-’70s into the early-aughts.

A Canadian DIY zine titled gendertrash from hell crafted seasonal editions from 1993 to 1995, featuring writing by and for trans people; Lankton’s testimonies share the tone of the 24 “GENDER MYTHS” published in its Fall ’93 issue.

When hearing of Greer Lankton and her work, I was intrigued by the archival documentation of seemingly autobiographical experiences through the crafting of hand-sewn dolls.

Paul Monroe opened his shop EINSTEINS at 34 east 7th street NYC in 1981 and in 1983 Greer joined him as a partner.

She died on November 18, 1996, of a drug overdose in her Chicago apartment, just a month after completing her final and largest work.