Works

Portrait Of Emotion: Cocaine And Two Anxious Partners

2018

Medium: Acrylic on hand-primed and hand-stretched canvas

Size: 30" x 40"

Description:
Part of the "Portrait Of Emotion" series, this piece was painted in the Summer of 2018 at the artist's music producer and romantic partner, We Chief's apartment in NYC. The two had been making music and attending each other's events for a few years as friends, leading them to at some point, date as two creatives with wild lifestyles. The night this piece was painted, Lucas brought over a new friend, Gab Talijan, whom she found extremely interesting and neurotic.The three of them, painted all night in an emptied apartment bedroom, and emotions started to grow. Tension became apparent, which led to lots of cocaine and wine consumption, sexual activity and resentment.

We can see in this piece, that whoever it was that Lucas depicted had a nervousness to them. Sparkles in the eyes, painted large and wide, using blues and large brush strokes. There is a saddening feeling in the piece, which makes the viewer wonder of Lucas was juggling her relationships in a way that made her nervous of anyone of the parties potentially getting hurt. The style of the piece shows a bit of a resemblance to Fracis Bacon's identities self portrait, through which he would swoosh around pigment to show frustration through his days of coming to terms with his sexuality.

We see a reoccurring theme in Lucas' work, discussing her troubles with understanding the subject of identity and what one is expected to be like. The setting in which this painting was created may have been a moment of curiosity, and lust, while growing anxious of what could happen next.