Lips

Marilyn Minter’s depictions of lips are rooted in the candy-coated feminine aesthetics of the beauty and fashion industries—but with a messy, gritty twist. In her hyperrealistic paintings (and the film photography on which they are based), Minter’s portrayals of lips are both grotesque and sensual at once, unabashed in their portrayal of sweat, dirt, lipstick stains, and spit. Minter lingers on these imperfections to critique the unattainable physical standards set for women by popular consumer culture—and question their validity by stirring visceral reactions in her viewers.