2022 | Oil and Acrylic on Canvas | Original Painting
Some things are so ridiculous they're funny. Until you consider why they exist.
In Shedding Light, Alissa Van Atta brings together two recognizable symbols of American nostalgia: the infamous leg lamp and a glamorous, retro-styled woman inspired loosely by Priscilla Presley. Set against a vibrant coral background, the pair creates an unexpected confrontation between kitsch, femininity, and the persistent objectification of women.
The leg lamp, celebrated in popular culture for its absurd humor, becomes something more complicated when placed alongside a woman whose appearance recalls the carefully constructed glamour of another era. Her sideways gaze suggests skepticism rather than admiration, inviting viewers to reconsider the familiar object and the attitudes it represents.
Dressed in blue and framed by dramatically styled dark hair, the female figure appears composed yet distinctly unimpressed. Her expression introduces a quiet challenge to the humorous imagery surrounding her. What initially reads as a playful reference to vintage Americana begins to question how women's bodies have been transformed into objects of decoration, entertainment, and desire.
Expressive passages of lavender and blue interrupt the flat coral background, creating a dynamic contrast between controlled figurative imagery and spontaneous abstraction. The composition balances bold Pop Art influences with painterly texture and a deliberately irreverent sense of humor.
Adding another dimension to the work, an actual electrical cord and plug extend from the lower left of the canvas. This nonfunctional element transforms the painted lamp into something that physically crosses the boundary between image and object. The cord's length can be adjusted, or the element can be removed, offering flexibility in how the artwork is displayed.
The unexpected integration of a real electrical component also reinforces the painting's central question: Why do certain images of women remain so deeply embedded in our cultural imagination, even as attitudes toward femininity and representation continue to evolve?
Part of Alissa Van Atta's She's so Vintage collection, Shedding Light uses nostalgia, visual humor, and contemporary feminist commentary to examine the contradictions of feminine representation.
Bold, playful, and unmistakably provocative, the painting invites viewers to laugh at the absurdity of the familiar—and then consider why that familiarity deserves a closer look.
Artist: Alissa Van Atta
Title: Shedding Light
Year: 2022
Medium: Oil and acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 36 H × 36 W × 1.5 D inches
Collection: She's so Vintage
Original: One-of-a-kind painting
Signed: Yes
Special Feature: Nonfunctional, adjustable/removable electrical cord and plug
Inventory Number: avap202236363
Price: $4,800
Current Location: K2 Studio
Original artwork by Alissa Van Atta. Please inquire to confirm availability and coordinate purchasing arrangements while the painting is at K2 Studio.
2022 | Oil and Acrylic on Canvas | Original Painting
Some things are so ridiculous they're funny. Until you consider why they exist.
In Shedding Light, Alissa Van Atta brings together two recognizable symbols of American nostalgia: the infamous leg lamp and a glamorous, retro-styled woman inspired loosely by Priscilla Presley. Set against a vibrant coral background, the pair creates an unexpected confrontation between kitsch, femininity, and the persistent objectification of women.
The leg lamp, celebrated in popular culture for its absurd humor, becomes something more complicated when placed alongside a woman whose appearance recalls the carefully constructed glamour of another era. Her sideways gaze suggests skepticism rather than admiration, inviting viewers to reconsider the familiar object and the attitudes it represents.
Dressed in blue and framed by dramatically styled dark hair, the female figure appears composed yet distinctly unimpressed. Her expression introduces a quiet challenge to the humorous imagery surrounding her. What initially reads as a playful reference to vintage Americana begins to question how women's bodies have been transformed into objects of decoration, entertainment, and desire.
Expressive passages of lavender and blue interrupt the flat coral background, creating a dynamic contrast between controlled figurative imagery and spontaneous abstraction. The composition balances bold Pop Art influences with painterly texture and a deliberately irreverent sense of humor.
Adding another dimension to the work, an actual electrical cord and plug extend from the lower left of the canvas. This nonfunctional element transforms the painted lamp into something that physically crosses the boundary between image and object. The cord's length can be adjusted, or the element can be removed, offering flexibility in how the artwork is displayed.
The unexpected integration of a real electrical component also reinforces the painting's central question: Why do certain images of women remain so deeply embedded in our cultural imagination, even as attitudes toward femininity and representation continue to evolve?
Part of Alissa Van Atta's She's so Vintage collection, Shedding Light uses nostalgia, visual humor, and contemporary feminist commentary to examine the contradictions of feminine representation.
Bold, playful, and unmistakably provocative, the painting invites viewers to laugh at the absurdity of the familiar—and then consider why that familiarity deserves a closer look.
Artist: Alissa Van Atta
Title: Shedding Light
Year: 2022
Medium: Oil and acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 36 H × 36 W × 1.5 D inches
Collection: She's so Vintage
Original: One-of-a-kind painting
Signed: Yes
Special Feature: Nonfunctional, adjustable/removable electrical cord and plug
Inventory Number: avap202236363
Price: $4,800
Current Location: K2 Studio
Original artwork by Alissa Van Atta. Please inquire to confirm availability and coordinate purchasing arrangements while the painting is at K2 Studio.
