I ntimate and seductive, Lisa Brice’s Untitled xxxix (Well Worn 3) re-imagines the history of female figuration, the male gaze, and gender politics through a deeply evocative and introspective depiction of a bathing scene. Reminiscent of a 18th century boudoir scene, the present work is part of a series of paintings that features a cast of female figures engaging in acts of self-care within the confines of veiled domestic interiors. A mystifying and ethereal scene, Untitled xxxix (Well Worn 3) depicts an almost translucently painted woman on the left as well as a figure laying in a bathtub within an abstracted bathroom painted with soft pinks and baby blues. The reflection of the figure on the left is caught in the mirror placed at the center of the canvas, allowing for the viewer to catch a glimpse of the figure staring at herself bathe. A meditation on self scrutiny, consciousness, and adoration, the mirrored reflection in the present work functions as a formal device for an imagined audience beyond the private space.

Frequently exploring the dichotomy between interior and exterior realities and public and private spaces, Brice’s works infuse her subjects with agency by reimaging established tropes of female portraiture. Painted from a female perspective, the women in Brice's paintings are self-possessed and unconcerned, holding their own poise for their own self. As viewers invited to witness this intimate moment suspended in time and space, we are invited to question the consumption of the female form, repudiating the concept of "the gaze" at large. Certainly, Untitled xxxix (Well Worn 3) is testament to the artist’s ability to rewrite art historical cannons through her stand-alone practice.