Phyllis Yes

Born Phyllis Richardson in Redwing, Minnesota, in 1941, Phyllis Yes received an M.A. from the University of Minnesota in 1969, and a Ph.D. from the University of Oregon, Portland, in 1978. After receiving her doctorate she decided to shorten her name to something more fun.  Although primarily a painter, Yes also makes sculptures and videos.  She has been awarded a National Endowment for the Arts grant and an Oregon Arts Commission Fellowship.  Her work has been widely exhibited in the United States, Japan, and South America.  She is a professor of art and Dean of Arts and Humanities at Lewis & Clark College, Portland, Oregon. Yes’ work addresses the issues of femininity and gender identification.  She uses tools to symbolize masculinity in her paintings and objects, then sabotages them by overlaying them with webs of lacy patterns and motifs traditionally thought of as feminine.