Snowman 2008

Lisa Yuskavage made "Snowman" with oil paint, and right away, I’m struck by the softness of it all. You can see the artist building up these layers of paint, trying things out, almost like she's sculpting with color. The delicate balance of the composition is underpinned by pale blues, pinks, and grays. The light feels wintery, a bit melancholic. I feel a sense of vulnerability. I can imagine Yuskavage in her studio, really thinking about the history of painting, all those artists who’ve come before. The old masters are in conversation with this painting, while Yuskavage adds her own voice. Painters like her, and me, we’re all just talking to each other across time, trying to figure things out, one brushstroke at a time. The whole thing is very open-ended and full of possibility.