Lisa Yuskavage reflects on her artistic journey, realizing her earlier paintings focused on women's backs, which felt concealing. This led her to alter her approach, beginning with painting women's eyes to engage viewers directly. She aims to create tension by making the gaze provocative yet innocent, encouraging discomfort alongside intrigue. Yuskavage emphasizes the importance of 'noticing' in her creative process, as she remains sensitive to the nuances of her work. Her studio atmosphere contrasts with the confrontational subject matter, revealing her gentle nature as she explains her intentions in art.
"Those paintings were mostly about backs," she said to me. "And I thought, Why are they turned away? What are you hiding? Maybe you're hiding their big tits."
"The first thing I did, I painted her eyes, so that she was looking at you, locking eyes with you," Yuskavage says. "You're fucked up and I'm watching you."
"They were using whatever powers they had to get back at you," she said. "It's gonna hurt you as much as it hurts them to be looked at."
Yuskavage spends a lot of time staring down what she has applied to her canvas. All painters do, but with her, this 'noticing,' a word she comes back to over and over, is particularly crucial.
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