Artwork in gallery nine5	Identity Catalog

We asked for art to expose the extremism of a consumer culture dominated by western ideals of beauty and the pursuit of idealized feminine perfection coupled with the drive and desire for female autonomy, power and self-reliance by exploring themes of power, female representation and objectification. The female body is commoditized in all areas of society and used as a mechanism for power. When artists manipulate the boundaries of power and explore deeper themes of control, fetishism, and objectification, the viewer is challenged to confront his or her own gaze on the body and to reflect on aspects of the female persona.

Female identity is often formed and realized through the male gaze, and it is usually depicted to appeal to male fantasies. As a consequence, women have often become asexual, believing this would warrant equality. This resulted in the division of femininity and sexuality. In our current era of reexamining female sexuality, can we as women now have an unmoderated and unfiltered voice in defining ourselves and desires, when we are still so heavily influenced by a patriarchal society? We asked the artists to imagine the female persona from a feminist perspective and to address the complex nature of women with their longing to enjoy their sexual bodies and to be desirable beyond any defining limits of gender.

The works chosen for this exhibition address these issues and define identity through acceptance or rejection of society’s view of women and their place in the world, whether as an object of desire or the objectified self and elicit a dialogue that honors sexuality, and mold the definition of the powerful feminine.

Anne Swartz and Elena Maria Buszek chose 103 artists for Identity with 25 works in gallery nine5 and an additional 81 featured in the catalog. This show is in collaboration with gallery nine5. We are honored to work with these artists and to showcase their work. We believe in the power of artists to create, connect, and change the world. It is the mission of WCA to document the artwork of women artists and we are pleased with this large collection of powerful works.

Jurors Anne and Elena say of the show’s selection process, “Our respective scholarship on feminist art and activism centers on the image of woman as she evolves, as she looks both outward and inward. Popular culture and stereotypes are evident, alongside meditations on art history, and how visual culture in the broadest sense shapes our identities. Sex, sexuality, and the self-portrait sometimes show up in conjunction or separately.”

“The themes throughout the many submissions included ideals of beauty and fashion, masquerade and concealment, social pressure, conforming to and rejecting religious standards, domestic and personal containment, sensuality and sexuality, and relationships with the mother, with the father, and with nature. The ways the artists define and present not just their gendered but their ethnic, racial, and sexual identity, and the spectrum of what the bodily-lived experience conveys struck us as dynamic, exciting, and engaging.”

WCA Exhibition Director Karen Gutfreund said, “Art can be a powerful, productive force instrumental in sparking change or critical thinking. The Women’s Caucus for Art is committed to supporting local, national, and global art activism to help us to understand what is happening in our society, who we are, where we come from and where we’re going. Women have been written out of art history and are clearly underrepresented. My goal is to change that, one show at a time, focusing on “female only” shows until we see an equal playing field. The mission of the WCA is to create community through art, education, and social activism.”

The artists in the exhibition at gallery nine5 are Shonagh Adelman, Chan & Mann, Sally Edelstein, Claire Joyce, Lauren Kalman, Beth Lakamp, Jessica Lichtenstein, Jessica Maria Manley, Megan Mantia and Leone Anne Reeves, Sarah Maple, Ellen Deitell Newman, Samantha Persons, Mei Xian QIu, Jennifer Reeder, Phyllis Rosser, Sonal Shah, Erin Sparler, Joanne Ungar, Cristina Velazquez, and Meghan Willis.

The gallery focuses on an international roster of artists who possess an inherent alternative edge and develop new methodologies and processes, encompassing everything from painting to digital media, from flat planes to multi-dimensional forms. Through carefully curated exhibitions, installations, and collaborations, gallery nine5 breathes a new vitality into traditional ideas, reshaping and challenging conventional procedures in reinvigorating ways. By creating an atmosphere for intimate conversation, gallery nine5 continues its commitment to provide accessibility, transparency, and quality, fostering relationships and pioneering innovative approaches.

gallery nine5 seeks to create and intensify ongoing participatory dialogues within the global art world. Participating in international fairs, working with private commissions and public installations, and encouraging the growth of culturally and aesthetically-diverse artists, drives the gallery towards a deeper mode of artistic understanding.

Contact Information:
24 Spring Street, New York, New York 10012
info@gallerynine5.com
www.gallerynine5.com
212.965.9995