This first monograph on artist Emily Sundblad explores the rich contradictions at the heart of her work—where beauty meets grit, refinement collides with spontaneity, and the traditional genres of landscape, portrait, and still life are pushed to unexpected extremes. The paintings oscillate between tenderness and brashness, often appearing deliberately unfinished or wildly exuberant, executed with a sense of urgency that resists over-calculation. 

Sundblad’s artistic practice extends beyond painting; as cofounder of Reena Spaulings Fine Art in New York and a performer in both music and pop culture, Sundblad navigates the shifting boundaries of authorship, sincerity, and artistic persona. This volume brings together a selection of her paintings alongside critical essays that contextualize her work and its ongoing dialogue with authenticity and self-mythology. A long-overdue study of an influential artist, this book captures the restless, irreverent spirit that defines Sundblad’s practice.