This episode of 'A brush with...' podcast features artist Lisa Yuskavage, who discusses her painting practice, influences, and career. Yuskavage, born in Philadelphia in 1962 and based in New York, creates stylized, often eroticized female figures in invented interiors and landscapes, drawing from art history, pop culture, and soft-porn magazines. She reflects on the 'emotional formalism' of her work, transformative visits to the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Italy, the impact of Giovanni Bellini and Marcel Duchamp's Étant Donnés, and her admiration for artists like Agnes Martin, Philip Guston, and Laura Owens. The podcast is sponsored by Bloomberg Connects, which highlights museums where Yuskavage has had solo exhibitions, including the Morgan Library and Museum, Baltimore Museum of Art, Aspen Art Museum, and Contemporary Art Museum (CAM), St. Louis.
The episode matters because it offers an in-depth, personal look at a significant contemporary painter whose work engages with centuries-old traditions of representation and gender. Yuskavage's reflections on her creative process, influences, and the purpose of art provide valuable insight for both art enthusiasts and professionals. The sponsorship by Bloomberg Connects also underscores the growing intersection of digital arts platforms and museum engagement, promoting access to cultural institutions and their exhibitions, such as those featuring Claude Cahun, Marcel Moore, Andrea Carlson, Ayana Evans, and Janie Stamm.