COMING TO POWER: 25 Years Of Sexually X-Plicit Art By Women

Maccarone Gallery - New York

By Taliesin Thomas

The recent presidential election outcome has many women asking the same question: Did straight-up sexism undermine the balloting process? While the “real” ethos of the coming presidential term has yet to be fully revealed, one marked result of the election aftermath seems to be a reinvigorated discussion concerning the feminist agenda and significance of yesteryear’s feminist theory in the light of our current situation. Have the previous ‘waves’ of feminism been watered down or simply washed out as concerns regarding women’s agency become increasingly marginalized in the light of patriarchal zealotry? What can American women hope for when the commander in chief has openly touted his desire to “grab ‘em by the pussy?”

One possible response to these urgent questions came in the form of a bold artistic ensemble at Maccarone Gallery in New York this past fall: “COMING TO POWER: 25 Years Of Sexually X-Plicit Art By Women.” This was a restated group exhibition of the same feminist show originally curated by Ellen Cantor at David Zwirner Gallery in 1993. Set against bare black walls, this colorfully erotic exhibition included a range of artistic practices, including painting, sculpture, video, photography and installation, by leading female artists such as Lynda Benglis, Judith Bernstein, Louise Bourgeois, Ellen Cantor, Patricia Cronin, Mary Beth Edelson, Nicole Eisenman, Nancy Fried, Nan Goldin, Nancy Grossman, Pnina Jalon, Joyce Kozloff, Zoe Leonard, Monica Majoli, Marilyn Minter, Alice Neel, Lorraine O’Grady, Yoko Ono, Carolee Schneemann, Cindy Sherman, Nancy Spero and Hannah Wilke, among others.

A motley showing of powerhouse female figures en masse, “COMING TO POWER” reflected a curious cross-section of desire, diversity and sexual significance from a time gone by-the original exhibition is more than 20 years old-yet the overall atmosphere created by this reestablished exhibition aptly reflected the irritation (and irrationality) of the American social-political climate of today. The combination of works literally “strapped-on” and straddled the intersection between feminism, sexual politics, performative porn, queer practice and art praxis. Through its diverse presentation of sexual radicalism and identity politics, the prevailing “COMING TO POWER” message was that of confrontation and provocation. One such example, Bullwhipping (1993), a photo by Doris Kloster of a woman clad in leather whipping a naked man whose arms are bound above his head, suggested overt tyranny. Another was Janus (1968) by Louise Bourgeois, an impossibly large black dildo-like bronze sculpture hanging from the ceiling like an authority to be reckoned with. Taken altogether, the assorted artworks in this show confess a combination of thrill and threat.

If “COMING TO POWER” is any indication of how art can deal with our conflicted social milieu and its misogynistic attitude toward women, one can feel assured that “pussy” is a powerful concept that expresses both autonomous pleasure and pain. While the alt-right fears the multiplicity of queer, trans, homosexual and gender-bending people, open-minded women and artists especially will continue to embolden the discourse of the sexual self without shame or fear. “COMING TO POWER” suggests that our collective pussy can flaunt, posture, prod and even grab back when necessary.

(September 9 - October 16, 2016)

Taliesin Thomas is a Brooklyn-based artist-philosopher, writer and lecturer working in the field of contemporary Chinese art. She is the founding director of AW Asia, New York. Thomas holds an M.A. in East Asian Studies from Columbia University and is currently a Ph.D. candidate in art theory and philosophy at the Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts.

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