Alicia McCarthy

Alicia McCarthy’s delicate abstract paintings embrace a punk/folk aesthetic (also called “urban rustic”) that combines the Bohemian street culture of San Francisco with forms of folk art. Made with humble non-art materials such as house paint and discarded wood, McCarthy’s work recalls the intricate patterns of démodé textiles. Snippets of text like “THE REAL YOU” and “The way in is the way out” reveal some of her underlying concerns. McCarthy is a member of The Mission School—a movement that arose in San Francisco in the 1990s, embracing the urban rustic aesthetic—which was featured in the 2008 documentary Beautiful Losers.