Born 1977 in Ridgewood, New Jersey, Alyssa Monks began oil painting as a child. She studied at The New School in New York and Montclair State University and earned her B.A. from Boston College in 1999. Using filters such as glass, vinyl, water, and steam, Alyssa distort the body in shallow painted spaces. These filters allow for large areas of abstract design – islands of color with activated surfaces – while bits of the human form peak through. In a contemporary take on the traditional bathing women, the subjects are pushing against the glass “window”, distorting their own body, aware of and commanding the proverbial male gaze.
I know these pictures look like digital painting but that simply proves the amazing talent of Alyssa Monks along with the a great view over the characters. Don’t miss the oil painting detail crops of the following painting.
Where to find Alyssa Monks on web