Lee Price

Strawberry Shortcake III, Oil on linen, 67" x 32"

I am totally fascinated by artist Lee Price's paintings. Not only is her subject matter incredibly evocative - she paints photo-realistic, birds-eye-view self portraits of herself eating and surrounded by food - but it's also kind of unsettlingly intimate in a really wonderful way.

Self Portrait In Tub With Lemon Slices II, Oil on Linen, 76" x 34" 

Butter, Oil on Linen, 66" x 44"

Blueberry Pancakes II, Oil on Linen, 64" x 31"

Lemon Meringue, Oil on Linen, 32" x 72"

Of course, that's exactly the point that Price is trying to make with her works. As she explains in an interview with Tshepo Mokoena for Don't Panic:

The paintings, on a literal (and slightly narrow) level discuss women's issues with food and compulsive eating...I think society plays an enormous role in regard to the aspect of my paintings that is concerned with how women relate to food. Often women are brought up to control their appetites. Not just for food but in many areas of life. We are taught to be givers, to nurture others at the expense of our own needs (in a way that men are not).  I think food, for some reason, is one way we have chosen to give back to ourselves- to attempt to nurture ourselves. This, mixed with the pressure to be thin, has caused many of us to consume in secret.

Pretty fascinating stuff, no? You can read the entire interview with Price right here, and check out more of her incredible work on her website.


(Via sho & tell)