Vanessa Beecroft. Yellow Dress (2019). Oil and charcoal on linen canvas. 96” x 72” x 2.25”.
Photo courtesy of artist and Pio Pico
Italian performance artist, painter, and sculptor, [Vanessa Beecroft](http://www.artnet.com/artists/vanessa-beecroft/), is displaying her love of painting in her new exhibit, “Oil Paintings,” at [Pio Pico Gallery](https://www.instagram.com/piopico.la/?hl=en). Acclaimed for her riveting artistic performances and being known for her beautiful adaptation of traditional sculptures, she is now dedicating an entire exhibit to her painting craft.
The exhibit contains fifteen life size or larger oil paintings wholly focused on the female body. Through the distortion of the female body in the paintings, Beecroft challenges standard beauty ideals seen in classical times. She continually tries to call into attention the idea that people’s existence, both individually and collectively, are constrained and this comes about from her engagement with art history. She uses strong colors and limits each painting to just a few different ones.
These paintings allow Beecroft to reconnect her roots to art and have conversations between classical and contemporary art. The questioning of the female body has been her career motif for the past thirty years and these paintings continue that dialogue while also giving way to a new path for her professionally. Lastly, these works make the audience question whether this exhibit is a part of her live performances or stands completely on its own.
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Vanessa Beecroft’s Oil Paintings opens at Pio Pico Saturday, November 16, 4 to 9pm | 3311 E Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90023
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