Lisa Yuskavage discussed her background and the inspirations behind her work, providing insight into her compelling paintings of exaggerated female figures. Showing pieces from throughout her career, she offered a glimpse into the origins and evolution of her distinctive imagery. She described her fondness for creating subject matter from pure invention and, later, her decision to incorporate reference materials and models into her paintings—from such unexpected sources as Penthouse photo spreads from the ’70s, women from her daily life, and her own sculpted figurines.

Yuskavage is a native of Philadelphia and graduate of the Tyler School of Arts and Yale. Her work has been presented in over fifty group shows, including the 2000 Whitney Biennial and exhibitions at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, MoMA PS1, New York, and the Aldrich Museum, Connecticut.