Lazarus's foundational works establish the symbolic and visual language that continues to inform her art, including the use of the female body, consumer imagery, and the tree as an organizing structure. Combining allegory, domestic iconography, and references to popular culture, these works explore how femininity is construed, portrayed, and negotiated within everyday life. These early works establish the symbolic language of trees, branching forms, and layered narrative spaces that continues throughout Lazarus’s later series.