Pasadena Lifesavers Blue Series #2 1970

Judy Chicago made Pasadena Lifesavers Blue Series #2, using spray paint on acrylic lacquer. It looks machine-made, almost printed, but it's not. It's pure labor. The smooth, gradated surface of this painting reflects Chicago's deep engagement with industrial techniques. She learned them while working in auto body shops to support herself. She then applied these skills to her art, using spray guns and masking to achieve the ethereal, almost floating quality of these forms. This precision takes time, and can be read in terms of the history of labor. Chicago sought to expand the boundaries of art, and this painting is far more than just a flat image. It is an object, the result of a time-consuming process. Considering the labor and context behind works like this helps us appreciate them more fully, challenging conventional distinctions between art and craft.