Couple in Bed 2017

Lisa Yuskavage made this painting, titled *Couple in Bed*, and right away I'm struck by how she embraces a kind of awkward beauty with such confidence. There’s something about the materiality here that feels important. The way the paint is applied is so fluid, almost translucent, and the way the orange cloth drapes over the lower half of the painting, it’s a burst of color, but not in a way that tries to be realistic. Look at the pink on the nails, how they echo, but don’t mimic, the colour of the fabric. It’s almost like she’s not afraid to let the process show, to let the painting be a painting, instead of trying to trick you into thinking it’s something else. For me, Yuskavage shares a kind of kinship with artists like Nicole Eisenman. They both have this way of dealing with bodies and intimacy that feels so fresh, and unburdened by convention. They embrace vulnerability and strangeness. And just like a good conversation, her paintings leave you with more questions than answers, and that’s exactly how I like it.