On the Verge of Domestication

The book “On the Verge of Domestication” by Los Angeles-based artist Lauren-Mendelsohn-Bass feels uniquely, passionately a part of L.A., itself. Perhaps that focus is due to the strong noir style of her figurative paintings. Film noir is deeply embedded in the culture of the City of Angels, and her art, with its noir narrative focus, is equally emblematic of the artist’s hometown. Guilty pleasures are portrayed in a vibrant world of bold imagery. Her work delves into society’s complex emotions around what we desire, and more specifically, the mass marketed idea of desirability in lifestyle, perception, physical characteristics, conspicuous consumption and more. Luscious color and alluring imagery is expertly depicted with great detail in order to seduce the senses. The artist wields realism as a means to expose the lack of reality in socially constructed norms. Taking a cue from the psychological drama of Film Noir, Lauren Mendelsohn-Bass weaves her own narrative through the painted word. Her emotional thrillers are stylistic and keen in plot lines that reveal the subtext of life. Her characters are staged in a series of montages, as form and gesture expose the mind’s inner turmoil of daily existence.