Lee Bontecue is an old favorite of mine. She was born in 1931 in Rhode Island. I was lucky enough to see her retrospective years ago at the MCA in Chicago. I remember being totally floored by her work in high school. It was like nothing else I had seen at the time. It was between Painting and sculpture -welded metal structures but sewn and painted canvas- and hung on the walls. The spaces in her work are similar to an abyss- deep, dark cavities, that seem like they will suck you right in. They are inspired by paranoia of WWII- the holes represented mouths, eyes, bullet holes, or open wounds- the dark psychological feeling at that time in history. Her work is really beautifully crafted and so interesting to look at.
