Currently on display at Cheim & Read is a look at men from the perspective of 32 female artists. “The Female Gaze, Part Two: Women Look at Men” is the second half of a two-part exhibition at the Chelsea gallery.
The first debuted in 2009 titled “Women Look At Women.” This latest exhibition offers multiple portrayals of men through the female lens through a variety of media. Throughout the gallery are strong images presented in paintings, photography, and sculpture by artists like Katy Grannan, Catherine Opie, Diane Arbus, Nan Goldin, Louise Bourgeois, Alice Neel, Lynda Benglis, Berenice Abbott, Dana Schutz, Chantal Joffe, Sylvia Sleigh, Lois Dodd, Tracey Emin, Jenny Holzer, Cindy Sherman, Marlene Dumas, Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, Gina Beavers, and Betty Tompkins. Classic works like Arbus’ Dracula, the Marked Man (1961) coexist in a space with newer pieces from Cecily Brown like Raspberry Beret (2015-16). A permeable question resonates against the white walls: would we react differently to these works if they were made by a man?
2015-16John Cheim curated this successful sequel that reveres the dominance of the gaze with the women as the onlookers, exposing the vulnerability of men. The exhibition remains on display through September 2.
