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9/2/2007

Battle of the sexes

Art Murmur Gallery, Los Angeles

A group exhibition and competition exploring sexuality and gender

The “Battle” portion of the exhibition is between the artists, and based on gender. Equal numbers of male versus female artists will compete. Which gender is the better artist? The public will decide.

Gender and sexuality have been favored subjects for artists since the beginning of civilization. The earliest Neolithic sculptures were maternal/Venus figurines, suggesting primitive worship of the reproductive powers of women. A reclining, sensual Venus became the muse of a succession of painters from the Renaissance to Impressionism. Artists such as Titian, Rubens and Manet venerated the erotic power of women through their naturalistic depictions of the female anatomy. Later, modern artists like Picasso and DeKooning remained fascinated with the duality of the erotic female. In the postwar period, women artists such as Cindy Sherman meaningfully entered the dialogue, interrogating through self portraiture the objectification of their own bodies.

The reproductive and sensual aspects of the male form have also interested artists since ancient times. In Egypt, where military prowess and sexual potency were exalted, court sculptors offered frankly pornographic depictions of their rulers and other males of the elite classes. The Greeks and Romans idealized the beauty of the male physique, emphasizing both athleticism and pathos. The Renaissance revival of the classical aesthetic saw artists such as Michelangelo, Rafael and Leonardo illuminating the sublime in their depictions of the nude male. Representations of male sexuality were later abstracted by the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists. With the upsurge of abstract art, the privileging of the internal world of the artist soon overshadowed any continued interest and exploration into male sexuality and identity. Though soon thereafter, in the liberalized postwar period, gay artists began more openly exploring male sensuality through painting and photography. From the latter 20th century through today, there has been a continued interest in male identity and sexuality by both heterosexual and homosexual artists alike.

Within this rich art historical context, Art Murmur invites artists to weigh in with their aesthetic interpretations of contemporary sexuality.

Artists include: Regina Allen, Brian Biedul, Barbie Brady, Michael Brodeur, Alex Feliciano, Sam Frazier, Laszlo Gyorffy, Leandra Hinrichs, Lisa Holland, J’Brenta Jordan, Robert Lebsack, Gioj De Marco, Colleen Mulligan, Samer Rafey, Rachel Schmidhofer, Betty Shelton, Melanie Waldman, Rodney Wallace, Cindy Workman, Yoffy, and Austin Young.

Opening reception: Saturday, February 10, 7 – 10 pm

Art Murmur
129 E. 6th Street, Los Angeles

stampa

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