Placed in the context of landscapes informed by the Hudson River School painters, the idealized female is portrayed at the juncture of myth and social realism. The paintings refer to archetypes of fairy tales and mythology through a language of culturally specific symbols to explore both female identity and broader cultural shifts.

The ‘grand American landscape’ is used not as a record of a specific place, but as an iconic backdrop to an exploration of the fears and uncertainties that nip at the edges of the post-feminist landscape.

The paintings continue a centuries-old tradition of depicting the female form in idyllic settings, yet through incorporating symbols of America’s idealized past 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. With references to mid-20th-century imagery and advertising text, 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.

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. The paintings in this series are done in acrylic on canvas.  

Lauren Bergman | New York City | 2004

Secret Longings  |  48” x 36” acrylic on canvas | SOLD