Benefits Supervisor Sleeping (also known as Big Sue) 1995

Editor: Here we have Lucian Freud's "Benefits Supervisor Sleeping," also known as "Big Sue," painted in 1995 with oils. There’s a raw, almost visceral quality to the painting. It feels incredibly intimate and unflinching. What’s your interpretation of this work? Curator: I'm interested in how Freud’s treatment of the flesh becomes almost sculptural through the application of paint, mirroring the very act of physically rendering the subject’s body, an act that historically has involved class disparity. Consider, whose labor produces the oil paint itself? And how does that contrast with the “labor” – or perceived lack thereof – depicted by Sue’s sleeping form, receiving state "benefits"? Editor: That’s a really interesting point, relating the actual material of the art to the socio-economic implications in the subject. How does the couch play into that idea? Curator: Note the wear on the floral couch; the floral is comforting yet unraveling at the seams, evidence of use and perhaps neglect. The worn couch can highlight the means by which people furnish their homes versus how art might be received into wealthy patrons' homes. How the physical reality, even decay, of the domestic space impacts the perception of worth, of "value" and labor. How does Freud's painting itself become a commodity? Editor: So it’s almost as if the painting itself becomes a commentary on labor, value, and commodity, from the material composition all the way to the art market. Curator: Precisely. Think about who owns such pieces – this art piece ends up in the hands of people who maybe do not appreciate the value in "being", especially with regard to socioeconomic strata of people being supported through state benefits. It makes you think, doesn’t it? Editor: Absolutely. I never thought of the couch as a commodity being placed for display on the wall or that the artist can show how “the rich consume” within an intimate portrait. Curator: Exactly. Now that's something to ponder when you come across art that's rooted in portraying an accurate social image!