The Icon Envailed

 

 

 

Freud, Lucian. “Benefits Supervisor Sleeping.” Wikipedia, 1995, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benefits_Supervisor_Sleeping#/media/File:B.... Accessed 3 April 2024.

This timeline provides a sociohistorical context for  Lucian Freud1995  Benefits Supervisor Sleeping. 

 

 

Timeline

Lucian Freud was an artist who focused on realism. One of the shifts in his artistic career was changing his stance while painting and the type of brushes he used. Freud got extremely agitated sitting down and not being able to move freely. Another thing that was agitating him was the brushstrokes he was currently using were not allowing him to paint the image the way he imagined. So when he changed the type of brush from soft sable brushes too hard hog hair ones that he would cut down to the end it allowed him to create more definite streaks in certain places to give the painting more dimension. The event ties together with the image because, during the 80’s and 90’s, Freud was using this new technique which contrasted his earlier paintings and made his paintings more realistic. Without this new technique, the viewers may not have been able to see the curves in her body beyond her extra fluffiness; without this, they may have interpreted the painting completely differently. The 1950s was a period when the pre-avant-garde movements and abstract expressionism were in the air which caused many artists to move due to events that were offered but they were also in unlivable conditions. The 1950s is significant to this event because this could have been another reason why Freud became agitated and felt he needed to change his brush technique. 

 

Works cited:

Kamp, David. “Psychoanalyzing Lucian Freud.” Vanity Fair, 16 January 2012,        www.vanityfair.com/culture/201…. Accessed 1 April 2024.

Freud, Lucian, and Caroline Blackwood. “Lucian Freud Paintings, Bio, Ideas | TheArtStory.” The Art Story, 7 May 2016, www.theartstory.org/artist/fre…. Accessed 16 March 2024.

Farrell, Jennifer. “Existentialism and Abstraction: Etchings by Lucian Freud and Brice Marden.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 18 August 2015, www.metmuseum.org/articles/exi…. Accessed 16 March 2024.

Calvert, Stella. “Lucian Freud's Work Through the Decades – bridgeman blog.” Bridgeman Images Blog, 22 May 2019, blog.bridgemanimages.com/blog/….... Accessed 16 March 2024.


Associated Places

No places have been associated with this event

by Kylie Hollister

Loading

Sue Tilley was a benefits supervisor when she became famous for being painted by Lucian Freud. Although she worked for the government, she also believed in the rights of the LGBTQ community, which society did not frown upon. She was friends with Leigh Bowery who was a trans, gay rights activist who was also a model for Lucian Freud. Bowery also owned a nightclub called “Nightclub Taboo”. Tilley and Bowery met in 1982 at a nightclub but after they met she began working at the nightclub Bowery owned as a cashier. The nightclub Taboo was known for allowing individuals to embrace their sexuality in a confined space but also to embrace polysexual identities. Bowery caught Lucian's attention by the way he “took the New Romantic penchant for dressing up to the level of art” according to The Last Tuesday Society.  Bowery then introduced Sue Tilley to Lucian Freud.  The event shows Sue Tilley was not one to follow in society's footsteps but rather explore the boundaries she can push to see what society can accept. At this time many paintings were of slim women with a female gaze upon the viewer to show sexualization towards the female. This painting of Sue Tilley is of a woman who wants the viewers to see she is comfortable enough in her flesh to seem like she is falling asleep completely nude knowing she is being gazed upon while also not looking like many of society's models. Another significant event at this time was the legalization of LGBTQ rights. For instance, during the 1980’s many individuals were trying to lower the age of consensual sex for gay individuals along with many other movements and rights being affected. 

 

Works cited

Hale, Amy. “Leigh Bowery: The Life and Times of an Icon by Sue Tilley.” The Last Tuesday Society, 4 September 2022, www.thelasttuesdaysociety.org/….... Accessed 1 April 2024.

 


Associated Places

No places have been associated with this event

by Kylie Hollister

Loading

The relationship between Sue Tilley and Lucian Freud is an interesting one. The both of them would work long days with each other when creating a painting so they would go to lunch sometimes along with having friendly conversations while working. Many individuals would assume they would be in a romantic relationship but in reality, they were only friends. Sue Tilley said in an interview “ he made me laugh so hard sometimes I would almost fall off the couch.” This is just one of many examples showing that Freud and Tilley were friends while she modeled for this painting. Their relationship ties together with the painting because everyone would think their friendship made it easier and comfortable for her to sit through long periods completely nude. Even though they did have a good relationship while she modeled for him, a statement made by Tilley about Freud’s characteristics led their friendship to come to an end. Even though this happened after she modeled for him it shows that Sue Tilley is a strong individual and dealt with a lot of criticism over the years and dealt with difficulties from many powerful males but that did not stop her from wanting to continue going against the norms of society and create her own. 

Vanduffel, Dirk. “Freud's Muse Susan Tilley Tells About Her Years With The Artist.” ArtDependence, 18 September 2018, artdependence.com/articles/fre….... Accessed 16 March 2024.

Laux, Cameron. “Lucian Freud and Sue Tilley: The story of an unlikely muse.” BBC, 14 May 2018, www.bbc.com/culture/article/20….... Accessed 16 March 2024.

Art Scene Athens. “Interview with Sue Tilley: Art antics, diverse life experiences and Freud.” art scene athens, 26 June 2020, artsceneathens.com/2020/06/26/….... Accessed 16 March 2024.

 


Associated Places

No places have been associated with this event

by Kylie Hollister

Loading

The wrap up

2 Apr 2024

The reason that I offered that background concerning those three events is that it helps me to explain what Benefits Supervisor Sleeping was doing socially and politically when Lucian Freud created it. Lucian Freud had just altered his brushstroke technique before painting this image by swapping his soft brushes for hard brushes that he would cut down to provide realism when drawing the human body. Meaning he wanted the fat rolls and the curves of her body to be seen more precisely than he was previously doing. The object of the image is Sue Tilley who appeared to be sleeping on the couch completely nude. She was an activist for the LGBTQ and was also friends with Leigh Bowery. Leigh Bowery was also a gay activist who owned a nightclub club Taboo that was focused around gays and polysexual identities. The two of them were known for pushing the boundaries of what society would accept which is exactly what this painting represents too. The supervisor appeared to be sleeping nude while also not as skinny as many of the models society was used to seeing. Along with Sue Tilley painted in a position as if when she wakes up she is ready to take on any challenges that come her way. The reason I say this is, that her legs are positioned slightly off the couch looking as if she is ready to stand up quickly if needed. The couch itself is positioned in a forward manner looking as if it is trying to push Tilley off of the couch. Since Tilley is an activist this symbolization has significant meaning because it shows not only through the object herself but from the position of the object and the other objects that Tilley is ready to face whatever is being thrown at her.  The image represents many boundaries it can push in the artistic community. From the change in brushstrokes to making the image curves in the body more definite, to the object herself being known for hanging out with Bowery who is known for his participation in the LGBTQ community. 


Associated Places

No places have been associated with this event

by Kylie Hollister

From soft brushes to hard brushes.

Bowery and Tilley

The bond of Sue Tilley and Lucian Freud

The wrap up

1790
1800
1810
1820
1830
1840
1850
1860
1870
1880
1890
1900
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
2020
2030
2040
2050
2060
2070
2080
2090
2100
2110
2120
2130
2140
2150
2160
2170
1943
1944
1945
1946
1947
1948
1949
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
2028
2029
2031
2032
2033
2034
2035
2036
2037
2038
2039

Chronological table

Displaying 1 - 4 of 4
Date Event Created by Associated Places
1960

From soft brushes to hard brushes.

Night Interior
Night Interior

Lucian Freud was an artist who focused on realism. One of the shifts in his artistic career was changing his stance while painting and the type of brushes he used. Freud got extremely agitated sitting down and not being able to move freely. Another thing that was agitating him was the brushstrokes he was currently using were not allowing him to paint the image the way he imagined. So when he changed the type of brush from soft sable brushes too hard hog hair ones that he would cut down to the end it allowed him to create more definite streaks in certain places to give the painting more dimension. The event ties together with the image because, during the 80’s and 90’s, Freud was using this new technique which contrasted his earlier paintings and made his paintings more realistic. Without this new technique, the viewers may not have been able to see the curves in her body beyond her extra fluffiness; without this, they may have interpreted the painting completely differently. The 1950s was a period when the pre-avant-garde movements and abstract expressionism were in the air which caused many artists to move due to events that were offered but they were also in unlivable conditions. The 1950s is significant to this event because this could have been another reason why Freud became agitated and felt he needed to change his brush technique. 

 

Works cited:

Kamp, David. “Psychoanalyzing Lucian Freud.” Vanity Fair, 16 January 2012,        https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2012/02/freud-201202. Accessed 1 April 2024.

Freud, Lucian, and Caroline Blackwood. “Lucian Freud Paintings, Bio, Ideas | TheArtStory.” The Art Story, 7 May 2016, https://www.theartstory.org/artist/freud-lucian/. Accessed 16 March 2024.

Farrell, Jennifer. “Existentialism and Abstraction: Etchings by Lucian Freud and Brice Marden.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 18 August 2015, https://www.metmuseum.org/articles/existentialism-and-abstraction. Accessed 16 March 2024.

Calvert, Stella. “Lucian Freud's Work Through the Decades – bridgeman blog.” Bridgeman Images Blog, 22 May 2019, https://blog.bridgemanimages.com/blog/lucian-freuds-work-through-the-dec.... Accessed 16 March 2024.

Kylie Hollister
1982

Bowery and Tilley

Adolescent Bowery and Tilley
Adolescent Bowery and Tilley

Sue Tilley was a benefits supervisor when she became famous for being painted by Lucian Freud. Although she worked for the government, she also believed in the rights of the LGBTQ community, which society did not frown upon. She was friends with Leigh Bowery who was a trans, gay rights activist who was also a model for Lucian Freud. Bowery also owned a nightclub called “Nightclub Taboo”. Tilley and Bowery met in 1982 at a nightclub but after they met she began working at the nightclub Bowery owned as a cashier. The nightclub Taboo was known for allowing individuals to embrace their sexuality in a confined space but also to embrace polysexual identities. Bowery caught Lucian's attention by the way he “took the New Romantic penchant for dressing up to the level of art” according to The Last Tuesday Society.  Bowery then introduced Sue Tilley to Lucian Freud.  The event shows Sue Tilley was not one to follow in society's footsteps but rather explore the boundaries she can push to see what society can accept. At this time many paintings were of slim women with a female gaze upon the viewer to show sexualization towards the female. This painting of Sue Tilley is of a woman who wants the viewers to see she is comfortable enough in her flesh to seem like she is falling asleep completely nude knowing she is being gazed upon while also not looking like many of society's models. Another significant event at this time was the legalization of LGBTQ rights. For instance, during the 1980’s many individuals were trying to lower the age of consensual sex for gay individuals along with many other movements and rights being affected. 

 

Works cited

Hale, Amy. “Leigh Bowery: The Life and Times of an Icon by Sue Tilley.” The Last Tuesday Society, 4 September 2022, https://www.thelasttuesdaysociety.org/event/leigh-bowery-the-life-and-ti.... Accessed 1 April 2024.

 

Kylie Hollister
1990

The bond of Sue Tilley and Lucian Freud

Sue Tilley in front of painting of Sue Tilley
Sue Tilley in front of painting of Sue Tilley

The relationship between Sue Tilley and Lucian Freud is an interesting one. The both of them would work long days with each other when creating a painting so they would go to lunch sometimes along with having friendly conversations while working. Many individuals would assume they would be in a romantic relationship but in reality, they were only friends. Sue Tilley said in an interview “ he made me laugh so hard sometimes I would almost fall off the couch.” This is just one of many examples showing that Freud and Tilley were friends while she modeled for this painting. Their relationship ties together with the painting because everyone would think their friendship made it easier and comfortable for her to sit through long periods completely nude. Even though they did have a good relationship while she modeled for him, a statement made by Tilley about Freud’s characteristics led their friendship to come to an end. Even though this happened after she modeled for him it shows that Sue Tilley is a strong individual and dealt with a lot of criticism over the years and dealt with difficulties from many powerful males but that did not stop her from wanting to continue going against the norms of society and create her own. 

Vanduffel, Dirk. “Freud's Muse Susan Tilley Tells About Her Years With The Artist.” ArtDependence, 18 September 2018, https://artdependence.com/articles/freuds-muse-susan-tilley-tells-about-.... Accessed 16 March 2024.

Laux, Cameron. “Lucian Freud and Sue Tilley: The story of an unlikely muse.” BBC, 14 May 2018, https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20180514-lucian-freud-and-big-sue-th.... Accessed 16 March 2024.

Art Scene Athens. “Interview with Sue Tilley: Art antics, diverse life experiences and Freud.” art scene athens, 26 June 2020, https://artsceneathens.com/2020/06/26/interview-with-sue-tilley-art-anti.... Accessed 16 March 2024.

 

Kylie Hollister
2 Apr 2024

The wrap up

The reason that I offered that background concerning those three events is that it helps me to explain what Benefits Supervisor Sleeping was doing socially and politically when Lucian Freud created it. Lucian Freud had just altered his brushstroke technique before painting this image by swapping his soft brushes for hard brushes that he would cut down to provide realism when drawing the human body. Meaning he wanted the fat rolls and the curves of her body to be seen more precisely than he was previously doing. The object of the image is Sue Tilley who appeared to be sleeping on the couch completely nude. She was an activist for the LGBTQ and was also friends with Leigh Bowery. Leigh Bowery was also a gay activist who owned a nightclub club Taboo that was focused around gays and polysexual identities. The two of them were known for pushing the boundaries of what society would accept which is exactly what this painting represents too. The supervisor appeared to be sleeping nude while also not as skinny as many of the models society was used to seeing. Along with Sue Tilley painted in a position as if when she wakes up she is ready to take on any challenges that come her way. The reason I say this is, that her legs are positioned slightly off the couch looking as if she is ready to stand up quickly if needed. The couch itself is positioned in a forward manner looking as if it is trying to push Tilley off of the couch. Since Tilley is an activist this symbolization has significant meaning because it shows not only through the object herself but from the position of the object and the other objects that Tilley is ready to face whatever is being thrown at her.  The image represents many boundaries it can push in the artistic community. From the change in brushstrokes to making the image curves in the body more definite, to the object herself being known for hanging out with Bowery who is known for his participation in the LGBTQ community. 

Kylie Hollister