Color Run

• Title Color Run
• Category Painting
• Medium Acrylic on denim fabric
• Art Themes Abstract, Pacific Northwest (subject or artist)
• Dimensions 36.25"h x 60.25"w
• Framed Dimensions 36.25"h x 60.25"w
• Year Completed undated
• Notes Phyllis Yes is an Oregon-based artist and playwright who, as an ardent feminist, confronts various cultural attitudes and attachments to ideas surrounding gender. She is most known for her acts of feminizing masculine objects. A great example of this is her 1984 piece PorShe in which Yes painted pink and fleshed toned rosettes for 600 hours (about 3 and a half weeks) to give the imitation of lace on a silver 1967 Porsche 911-S that she proceeded to travel across the United States in as a traveling exhibition. Art such as this explores how we imbue items with gender-based characteristics and thus by altering said objects we can challenge perceptions about gender stereotypes. Yes is primarily a painter, but she can also be described as a multi-media artist, simply using the materials best suited for her project. Yes was born and raised in Minnesota and recalls her interest in gender roles beginning at a young age. She recalls witnessing her elderly neighbor struggle to care for himself after the death of his wife as he didn't know how to use the dishwasher. Her interest continued to grow when as a Peace Corps volunteer in Brazil she encountered very different gender roles, such as women smoking pipes and men selling fabric. She takes inspiration from feminist artists Judy Chicago and Miriam Schapiro as well as the sculptor Louise Nevelson, who is known for challenging gender roles with her “masculine,” dark, and monumental sculpture, in addition to rejecting “masculine-feminine” labels. Phyllis has an extensive education; she received her BA in art at Luther College, MA at the University of Minnesota, and PhD at the University of Oregon. Upon earning her PhD, Phyllis born Phyllis Richardson, decided to shorten her name to something more fun, landing on “Yes.” She also taught at a handful of universities such as Oregon State University and Lewis & Clark College in Portland. At age 75 she wrote her first play Good Morning Miss America, which spotlights end-of-life struggles.
• Artist Phyllis Yes American b. 1941
• Credit Carlson Collection
• Location Library First floor grand stairs
• Accession Number 1976.0009
• Status Checked Out
• Administration Admin View
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