Loretta Bourque: Sex, Dogs and Random Droll

Loretta Bourque... Self As Bride (2006, Oil on canvas). From Loretta Bourque: Sex, Dogs and Random Droll at Linda Warren Fine Art Gallery in Chicago, Il. "...As the title suggests on display are three seemingly separate series of paintings: the self-portraits series, the tutu series, and the dog series. Each, however, serve as interchangeable vehicles for the artist to explore her personal fascination with such subjects as gender, beauty, costume, fashion, fetish and identity. With humor and compassion, Bourque exposes life’s subtle contradictions and oddities and successfully manages to destroy, without killing, the concept of an idealized beauty. A more real and ultimately accessible reality is portrayed, taking into consideration the imperfection and foibles of the human condition."