Two for Tuesday: A Part of the Universe

I dedicate this twosome here to my friend Cathy, who suggested I needed to have breasts featured in my weekly series. Good point. The body is full of pairs, and this one is especially fun and fundamental to the human race.

The cleavage is a detail from a painting by Mickalene Thomas, a feminista who grew up in NYC moved to Portland, OR, came back east and professes to be a precocious late bloomer; she definitely has the drive of a person late to the game. In this massive exhibition, about ten of her enormous works were made in 2011. A mind boggling feat considering each one is the size of North Dakota.

Anyway, I was taken with her massive glittering and textured portraits. Each one celebrated African American women who shared a love of color, big earrings, and serious lipstick.

Mickalene seems up for the big, the grand, the razzle dazzle. The audacity of her exhibition title - Origin of the Universe - matches the strength of her bold work that's fun, gaudy, and almost beautiful in a 1970s kind of way. If you can, go to the Brooklyn Museum and check out a hometown girl.