Oasis 2017

Carrie Graber created this oil painting, *Oasis*, sometime after 1975. The image depicts a sun-drenched scene of a woman sitting poolside at a mid-century modern home, a tableau that evokes both relaxation and a certain kind of aspirational lifestyle. Born in 1975, Graber's work often engages with themes of contemporary life, filtered through the lens of familiar visual tropes. Here, the setting suggests the laid-back glamour associated with places like Palm Springs, yet the woman's introspective pose hints at something more complex than simple leisure. Is she content, or is there a sense of isolation? The mid-century modern architecture acts as a cultural marker of a specific era in American history, one of optimism and consumerism. Yet, by presenting this image in the twenty-first century, Graber encourages us to consider our own relationship to these ideals. What do these images of luxury mean now, and who has access to them? In *Oasis*, Graber captures a mood that is both seductive and subtly unsettling.