BMA: Lisa Yuskavage (1962 - )

Now, the fun stuff. My favorite place to explore at the BMA is the back (physically by the layout) in the Contemporary Galleries. They often use this space to highlight particular artists. Currently there are four female artists receiving this honor. I will share two with you and start with Lisa Yuskavage. Born just up the road in Philadelphia, she studied at Yale for her MFA. The works here represented two periods in her creative career.

In the first room there are a series of small/medium size watercolors all on the theme of breasts. Breasts shrouded in dreamy mists of garish colors with flora motifs all around. The anatomical components are subtle, but the titles? No so much! Now, being gay, you might assume that I have no appreciate for the female form--that would be so not true. It is in its various component parts fascinating and beautiful. That's exactly what Yuskavage has captured in these paintings--and with watercolor, no less!

"Tit Heaven #3"

by Lisa Yuskavage

1962-      , AMERICAN

The other two galleries where sparsely populated with large canvases of oil paintings depicted human and human-esque forms where the motif a voluptuous breasts figured prominently.   These also at times reminded me of the amazing Frank Frazetta (1928-2010) paintings that graces the covers of classic Sci Fi and Fantasy paperbacks in the 1960-70's  From Tarzan to Conan to Mars Colonies.  The mid-century modern benches in the galleries certainly didn't dissuade me from connecting those dots.

"The Big Pileup"

by Lisa Yuskavage

1962-      , AMERICAN

"Snowman"

by Lisa Yuskavage

1962-      , AMERICAN