PAINT YOUR LIFE! Curated by Ryan Steadman
Leonard Baby, James Castle, Nicole Eisenman, Jörg Immendorff, Sahara Longe, Louisa Matthiasdottir, Emily Pettigrew, Arisa Yoshioka, Lisa Yuskavage, and many others.
Press Release
I have always wanted to paint as a woman, but not as the oppressive and power-mad world thought a woman should paint.” — Alice Neel
Regardless of the position we are born into, we all want to tell our stories from our own perspectives, with clarity, dignity, and humor. It might seem odd that some still use paint to achieve this in an age of virtual reality, digital algorithms, and AI content, but many do, occasionally with an excess of skill, charm, and vivacity.
Each artist in PAINT YOUR LIFE! chooses to show us who they truly are, no matter how difficult, awkward, silly, or even dangerous an act that might be. This type of art is a gift, helping viewers from all walks of life feel a little braver, less alone, or generally more understood. Yet, this powerful desire to share one’s reality is almost always (perhaps necessarily) paired with an equally powerful urge to embellish it.