LUCIA HEFFERNAN
Animal Instincts
If only animals could talk, walk and do as humans do, it might look a little something like what Lucia Heffernan paints. On view from August 10 to 31 at Copro Gallery in Santa Monica, California, Heffernan’s anthropomorphic and contemporary realistic works give animals a voice and personality of their own—but with a twist.
“My inspiration comes from situations in my daily life, but it’s amplified using animals,” she says. “If you put animals in a situation, it kind of becomes more extraordinary and funnier.”
A recent work and personal favorite of the artist, Executive Soak, shows a bird relaxing in a birdbath, smoking and sipping on a margarita.
“I asked myself, ‘If I were a bird, what would I want to do?’” she says. “I would enjoy the birdbath, sit there with my margarita, you know?”
With titles like Snoop Doggy Dog, which depicts a smug pug in a snapback and gold chain necklace blasting hip-hop tunes through the boombox he’s holding, and The Bluff, in which a group of dogs with deadpan expressions smoke cigars while playing poker, Heffernan’s sense of humor shines through
her paintings.
“I always tell people to read my titles because it tells half the story of what I’m trying to say,” she says, adding, “I have a sarcastic personality, so I like to do things a little weirdly and create this imaginary world.”
Though the situations are lighthearted, ultimately, Heffernan hopes to remind viewers of the interconnectedness of animals and humans and emphasize the important role these creatures play in the human experience.
“There can be so much cruelty in the world, but what I’m doing gives [animals] more of a voice,” she explains. “I think a lot of people can relate to my paintings on an emotional level. I hear all the time ‘Your paintings put a smile on my face.’ I love bringing joy to people and making them happy.”