Big Mr. and Mrs. Warmth 2020

Lisa Yuskavage made "Big Mr. and Mrs. Warmth" sometime in the nineties with oil paint, I reckon. She embraces the process, letting it guide her. I see that flesh pink mixed with all that red. Wow, that's a bold move. Yuskavage uses thin, transparent layers of paint, creating a soft, hazy effect like a hot summer day. The surface is smooth, almost airbrushed, obscuring the evidence of the artist's hand, but not quite. It’s like she's painting a dream, a memory, or maybe a fantasy. Look at the woman’s hand resting on the other's head. It’s so gentle, so intimate. It’s an odd moment, suspended in time. Yuskavage makes me think of other painters like Karen Kilimnik or even John Currin. They share a similar interest in exploring beauty, desire, and the female gaze, but Yuskavage's approach is uniquely her own. It reminds me that art is always a conversation, a back-and-forth between artists across time. There’s no right or wrong way to see it.