Newport Beach Central Library

On view March 9 through May 8, 2020

Once Upon A Time, there lived an artist who wielded realism as a tool to expose the fiction in socially constructed norms…

Inspired by 1950's era advertising, "Fairy Tales" is a nod to classic Film Noir with emotive German Expressionist roots and 17th century vanitas paintings that symbolized the fleeting nature of earthly pleasures and pursuits.  The artist mixes pop imagery and classic noir iconography, drawing the viewer into a richly colored, enticing world… only to find all is not as wonderful as it appears.

Fairy Tales takes us on a journey through the world of superficial reality--where artificially alluring and nostalgically innocent context masks darker thoughts, ideas and actions. This work explores the ways reality is obscured when presented as ostensibly attractive.  As popular culture navigates an era of “fake news”, social media, and alternative facts --nothing is as it seems. 

Mendelsohn-Bass delves into complex emotions around what we desire, and more specifically, the mass marketed idea of desirability in lifestyle, perception, physical characteristics, conspicuous consumerism and more.   "Fairy Tales" seduces the senses…but beware, the Big Bad Wolf could be lurking in the shadows!

http://www.mendelsohnbassfineart.com/

Instagram: @mendelsohnbass

About Lauren Mendelsohn Bass

Lauren Mendelsohn-Bass is a Los Angeles born painter who received her Bachelor of Arts at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her work depicts the psychology of the mind’s inner conflicts and struggles, portrayed through her figures’ outward appearance and gestures. She often emphasizes the psychological drama with a monochromatic, Film Noir feel in order to examine what makes us tick. Her large, figurative paintings have a climactic, narrative quality with a focus upon emotional suspense, with each glance suggesting a passion or crime.

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Kristine Schomaker
Director Shoebox PR
661-317-1069
shoeboxpr@gmail.com
shoeboxpr.com