Street Sweat by Mira Dancy, sold for $3,528 at Phillips New Now New York Auction on Sept. 28, 2021 in New York City. A talented emerging American artist, Dancy takes a feminist approach to her works focusing on the female nude figure. Rest assured, however, her nudes are nothing like the static images of female bodies (predominantly painted by men) that appear throughout art history. Instead, Dancy’s are a vibrant, fluid modern take and not “realistic by any stretch,” as she once said in a 2016 interview with Vogue.
In addition to her fluorescently colored plexiglass and acrylic paintings, Dancy has dabbled in neon light installations and sculptures, among other mediums. According to Cultured magazine, Dancy’s inspiration for her figures ranges anywhere from Jacques-Louis David to a photograph of a woman protesting a Kanye West model casting call. Her work sometimes incorporates a calligraphy-esque text, and the Egyptian goddess, Isis, which happens to be the name of her daughter, features prominently as well.
Dancy’s creations have been featured in exhibits globally, including at the hip MoMA PS1 museum in Queens, N.Y. and the prominent Art Basel art fair in Miami. But just like the authors of our International Practice Committee Report articles will tell you, navigating foreign rules and practices can be tricky, whether you’re preparing for an art show or dealing with reporting bank accounts. In preparation for a public show in Shanghai, China a couple of years ago, Dancy was faced with adapting her work to meet Chinese government approval, as nudity in art is taboo in the country.