2022 | Oil and Acrylic on Canvas | Original Painting
Be careful what you wish for when you grow up.
In When I Grow Up, Alissa Van Atta brings together two dramatically different interpretations of the same familiar symbol: the bunny. Through irreverent humor, vintage-inspired imagery, and a deliberately provocative juxtaposition, the painting explores the complicated transition from childhood innocence to adult femininity.
On the left, a figure stands awkwardly in an oversized pink bunny costume, complete with floppy ears, rounded glasses, and enormous bunny slippers. Reminiscent of the famously embarrassing costume from A Christmas Story, the figure evokes childhood vulnerability, innocence, and the sometimes uncomfortable experience of inhabiting an identity chosen by someone else.
On the right, the bunny has undergone a rather dramatic transformation.
A confident blonde woman poses in a revealing black corset, thigh-high boots, gloves, and a sleek rabbit-eared mask. Her hands rest firmly on her hips, presenting a striking contrast to the passive, concealed figure beside her. What was once an innocent childhood costume has become a symbol of adult sexuality, performance, and desire.
The two figures occupy sharply divided fields of muted blue and coral pink, creating an immediate visual separation between their contrasting identities. Expressive passages of turquoise and deep blue sweep across the composition, interrupting the clean, graphic figures and introducing a sense of movement and instability.
The painting's title, When I Grow Up, introduces a deceptively simple question: What exactly are girls supposed to become?
The contrast between the figures challenges the cultural expectations surrounding feminine identity. Childhood innocence gives way to an adult world in which women are often expected to embody contradictory ideals: innocent yet desirable, modest yet alluring, independent yet accommodating.
Both costumes represent a kind of performance. One conceals the body entirely, while the other places it conspicuously on display. Despite their dramatic differences, each raises questions about how identity, appearance, and sexuality are shaped by cultural expectations.
Yet the woman on the right also introduces the possibility of agency. Her assertive stance suggests confidence and ownership of her sexuality, leaving viewers to question whether she is performing for someone else's approval or deliberately defining herself on her own terms.
Part of Van Atta's She's so Vintage collection, When I Grow Up uses popular culture, nostalgic imagery, and contemporary feminist commentary to examine the expectations women inherit and the identities they ultimately choose to embrace or reject.
Playful, provocative, and unapologetically cheeky, the painting reminds us that growing up rarely means becoming exactly who we imagined.
And perhaps that's where the real freedom begins.
Artist: Alissa Van Atta
Title: When I Grow Up
Year: 2022
Medium: Oil and Acrylic on Canvas
Dimensions: 30 H × 40 W × 1.5 D inches
Collection: She's so Vintage
Original: One-of-a-kind painting
Signed: Yes
Inventory Number: avap202230402
Price: $2,495
Status: Available
Original artwork by Alissa Van Atta. Insured fine-art shipping arrangements are available, with protective packaging appropriate for an original canvas painting.
2022 | Oil and Acrylic on Canvas | Original Painting
Be careful what you wish for when you grow up.
In When I Grow Up, Alissa Van Atta brings together two dramatically different interpretations of the same familiar symbol: the bunny. Through irreverent humor, vintage-inspired imagery, and a deliberately provocative juxtaposition, the painting explores the complicated transition from childhood innocence to adult femininity.
On the left, a figure stands awkwardly in an oversized pink bunny costume, complete with floppy ears, rounded glasses, and enormous bunny slippers. Reminiscent of the famously embarrassing costume from A Christmas Story, the figure evokes childhood vulnerability, innocence, and the sometimes uncomfortable experience of inhabiting an identity chosen by someone else.
On the right, the bunny has undergone a rather dramatic transformation.
A confident blonde woman poses in a revealing black corset, thigh-high boots, gloves, and a sleek rabbit-eared mask. Her hands rest firmly on her hips, presenting a striking contrast to the passive, concealed figure beside her. What was once an innocent childhood costume has become a symbol of adult sexuality, performance, and desire.
The two figures occupy sharply divided fields of muted blue and coral pink, creating an immediate visual separation between their contrasting identities. Expressive passages of turquoise and deep blue sweep across the composition, interrupting the clean, graphic figures and introducing a sense of movement and instability.
The painting's title, When I Grow Up, introduces a deceptively simple question: What exactly are girls supposed to become?
The contrast between the figures challenges the cultural expectations surrounding feminine identity. Childhood innocence gives way to an adult world in which women are often expected to embody contradictory ideals: innocent yet desirable, modest yet alluring, independent yet accommodating.
Both costumes represent a kind of performance. One conceals the body entirely, while the other places it conspicuously on display. Despite their dramatic differences, each raises questions about how identity, appearance, and sexuality are shaped by cultural expectations.
Yet the woman on the right also introduces the possibility of agency. Her assertive stance suggests confidence and ownership of her sexuality, leaving viewers to question whether she is performing for someone else's approval or deliberately defining herself on her own terms.
Part of Van Atta's She's so Vintage collection, When I Grow Up uses popular culture, nostalgic imagery, and contemporary feminist commentary to examine the expectations women inherit and the identities they ultimately choose to embrace or reject.
Playful, provocative, and unapologetically cheeky, the painting reminds us that growing up rarely means becoming exactly who we imagined.
And perhaps that's where the real freedom begins.
Artist: Alissa Van Atta
Title: When I Grow Up
Year: 2022
Medium: Oil and Acrylic on Canvas
Dimensions: 30 H × 40 W × 1.5 D inches
Collection: She's so Vintage
Original: One-of-a-kind painting
Signed: Yes
Inventory Number: avap202230402
Price: $2,495
Status: Available
Original artwork by Alissa Van Atta. Insured fine-art shipping arrangements are available, with protective packaging appropriate for an original canvas painting.
