Plastic Surgeon

Work on Paper

-

DePaul Art Museum

Name/Title

Plastic Surgeon

Entry/Object ID

2025.13.01

Description

The work depicts a person in a doctor's office sitting on an exam table. A doctor stands behind him with his hand to his mouth, thinking. On the window are letters which read "Plastic Surgeon". On the wall are two photographs, a person with a large ear looking unhappy labelled "before", the other of a person with a smaller ear and smiling labelled "after."

Artwork Details

Medium

Ink on paper

Context

Eisenman's practice is marked by a deep engagement with the history of Western figurative art, which she reinterprets through a contemporary lens shaped by queer identity, cultural critique, and emotional intensity. Eisenman’s figures often occupy worlds that feel simultaneously familiar and absurd, inviting viewers to consider the complexities, contradictions, and vulnerabilities of modern life. In recent years, Eisenman has expanded her practice into sculpture, creating works that depart from conventional narrative forms in favor of bold, hybrid structures. Her sculptural work continues to push the boundaries of figuration while engaging with issues of community, resistance, and collective experience.

Acquisition

Accession

2025.13

Source or Donor

Zach Smith

Acquisition Method

Gift

Credit Line

Gift of Zach Smith

Made/Created

Artist

Eisenman, Nicole

Date made

1995

Lexicon

Nomenclature 4.0

Nomenclature Class

Art

Nomenclature Category

Category 08: Communication Objects

Getty AAT

Concept

figures (representations), visual works (works)

Hierarchy Name

Visual Works (hierarchy name), Visual and Verbal Communication (hierarchy name)

Facet

Objects Facet

LOC Thesaurus for Graphic Materials

Humorous pictures, Satires (Visual works), Figure drawings

Dimensions

Dimension Description

Framed

Height

18-1/2 in

Width

15 in