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Artistaday.com - Find new contemporary art, create your own gallery of art

Lauren Bergman  New York, NY


* All images used with permission. Please do not distribute without first contacting the artist.


About Lauren


Placed in the context of an “American Fantasy” setting the idealized female is portrayed at the juncture of myth and social realism. Through a language of culturally specific symbols the paintings explore both female identity and broader cultural shifts. The romanticized suburban setting is used not as a record of a specific place, but as iconic backdrop to an exploration of the fears and uncertainties that nip at the edges of the post-feminist landscape. By referencing the mid 20th century (a time period that exists in the cultural subconscious as an almost mythical time of American optimism and prosperity) the immediacy of the issues are removed from our current cultural climate and allows for emotional distance and perspective. The work probes a loss of cultural optimism and the ongoing irresolution of such post-feminist issues as sexuality versus intellectualism, passivity and acquiescence versus ambition. The work courts irony and the inner narratives are playful, yet confront the conflicting expectations of contemporary culture and the intricately complex ways in which we form our identities. Any text used is taken directly from advertisements. Using actual advertising text provides a cultural touchstone that while used in a humorous or sarcastic tone reflects on the barrage of messages with which we are bombarded that partially inform and define our identities, our gender roles, our body images, and our merit in society as a whole. While much of the narrative is intensely personal the underlying themes remain universal. The finished paintings are a pastiche of references and emotionally charged symbols that ultimately the viewer will respond to through their own personal history and emotional landscape.


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Lauren appears in the following Top 10 lists


'New York'

'2008'


10 of 19 reactions displayed


"in answer to the many question's i see here, i think the artist is conecting {not trying} to the insecurities we all feel in the last few yrs."

"I sure am seeing a lot of retro art on ArtistADay.orDisregarding all the other information in this artist and others work, I am focusing on the retro trend. It seems very strong. What does this say about our own times, that the young people of our time must be nostalgic for an art and lifestyle of the 1950s and 1960s. Are our own times so fraught with danger, that nostalgia is an imperative escapism. This was an historical period that they themselves were not adults."

"The form's have striking contrasts. Curves and sharp edges, children & bombs, yet it shows such blatant similarity. Oh the phallic symbols! What is that lady holding in the last picture?"

"very refreshing to see a different take on pin-up art. Really fantastic - I'll be watching her future work with interest!"

"love it, busting with 50's charm but stained with the weirdness of reality. very cool."

"if you want to see them larger, visit aher website by clicking on the link 'artist website' on the right..."

"They really make you think. Kitchen sink/childminder/glamorous girl. I thought the woman in the bottom picture was looking at a necklace... Wonderful stuff."

"I really wish we could enlarge these to see more detail!"

"This work is beautiful. I think the woman on the bottom pic is looking at a lizard or something. Very reminiscent of the Vargas girls."

"I love these, and I especially like the artist's own description and meaning of the art -- very helpful! Thanks."


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