Olivia Lorber — the grilled cheese grant

Olivia Lorber

_{My
paintings explore the feminine body and highlight my personal experiences
living in one. My work draws attention to the way sexism manifests during
childhood, touching on themes of puberty and lurking symbols of motherhood in
baby dolls and toys for little girls. My work often includes familiar
iconography distinctly tied to growing up in the early 2000s. This era is
potent with gender roles and showcased a narrow scope of femininity. Exploring
content I indulged in as a young child acts as a way for me to highlight the
expectations of girlhood and the hardships that come with it. These combined conceptual
focuses are symbolized in hot pink saturated landscapes with distorted bodies,
forcing the viewer to take on the role of a bystander in a nostalgic yet
uncanny environment.

My
wider studio practice is fueled by misogynistic ideologies that circulate on social
media, and the artifice of the perfect woman. Painting has become an outlet for
me to unpack the swarm of comments I am confronted by daily regarding what a
woman should and should not look like, how I should speak, how I should take up
as little space as possible, how I should hold my tongue and look pretty but shame
on me if a man compliments me and I agree. How femininity exists to please but
if it pleases me it’s frivolous and weak. My paintings are filled with objects
that represent the feminine self in ways I embrace it and ways I reject it. Being
a woman is to wield a double-edged sword and I use my practice to unveil these
harsh dualities.

Budget:

30”x40” in Stretched Canvas = $71

30”x40” in Stretched Canvas = $71

3 Yards of 12 oz Raw Canvas = $20

Professional Acrylic Gesso 32 oz = $30

GAC400 Fabric Stiffener 16 oz = $22

Size 40 Mixed media Flat Paintbrush = $16

X-Acto Utility Knife + Blades = $5

Fine Synthetic Acrylic Brushes = $20

Heavy-Duty Staple Gun + Staples = $27

Liquitex Heavy Body Acrylics = $11.63 Each/ $69.78

Total: $351.78}