Born 5 November 1930 in New Jersey, Lee Lozano was a painter and conceptual artist known widely for her graphic, abstract drawings of genitalia-like shapes. she was at the height of her career during the 60s with striking, large scale paintings of tools, they felt human like as if they were in motion- the curves and brush strokes feel seductive due to their exaggeration. Alongside these were her ‘comix’, rough sketchy drawings of people, teeth and mysterious holes often accompanied with provocative statements like “eat cunt for mental health”. she was bold, there is no subtlety to her work, the shapes are phallic and suggestive- it impossible for the viewer to escape the erotic connotations.

Following this work came ‘General Strike Piece’ in 1969 in which she gradually began to reject the art world by creating instructions for herself that guided her withdrawal. She set out tasks such as, avoiding being present at any public functions and would then document how it went. This wasn’t just a rejection of the art world but also a bold play on how she lived her life- the experiments also included smoking weed everyday for a month in ‘grass piece’ and moved as far as boycotting women which lasted until her death in 1999. Despite the goal of renouncing the art world, this in turn became her most highly praised piece. i like how the visual aspect of this piece doesn’t instantly portray expression however when reading you get a very personal insight into her mindset and opinions- this contrast is something that i would like to explore.