Although it is 2024, we are seeing a huge backlash toward the notion of women and female-identifying people having autonomy and agency over their sexuality. Just look at the trend of trad-wife TikTok videos that seem to be permeating social media, perpetuating a heavily-edited and idealized view of what it would be like for women to embrace a moment in time when they had little to no freedom.
Equally so, there is a continual disdain and backlash toward women who choose to embrace their sexuality on forums like OnlyFans, unapologetically centering their own pleasure that also enables them to earn a living. Which version of being a woman is the “right” one? This seems to be the question that is subconsciously posed to society, forcing us to choose between yet another patriarchal binary.
In a world where women are free to make their own choices away from patriarchal and puritanical norms, perhaps we would see more empowerment around the idea of sexuality in a way that isn’t dissected according to the male gaze.
In a fascinating and disruptive new exhibit at NYC’s The Untitled Space Gallery, artist Skye Cleary forces the viewer to confront their own stigma toward sex workers and women who display and perform sexual agency in “SKYE CLEARY NEVER GETS OLD,” a solo exhibition featuring Skye’s latest paintings, presented in collaboration with Lisa Levy, Sharilyn Neidhardt, and Meryl Meisler. Curated by Indira Cesarine, the exhibit opened on March 15 and will be on view through March 29, 2024.
Premiering over 20 acrylic on canvas paintings, “SKYE CLEARY NEVER GETS OLD” unveils the artist’s introspective journey, drawing inspiration from her experiences as an exotic dancer and the exploration of her identity as a sex doll. Additionally, the exhibition will debut a captivating series of photographs by the renowned nightlife photographer Meryl Meisler, documenting Skye’s intriguing life at the House Of Yes.
Through her confrontational sense of humor, Cleary’s artwork challenges societal norms and empowers viewers to confront preconceived notions. Her paintings, which seamlessly blend imagery with empowering narratives, serve as a testament to resilience and self-acceptance. Cleary’s goal is to inspire young women to embrace their sexual agency and take ownership of their narrative, echoing her own journey of self-discovery and empowerment.
Through her painting, Cleary combines images with words to create empowering messages of defiance, using irony as a tool of power, while addressing her personal life as a sex worker and the relationships she encounters.
Reflecting on her motivation behind the exhibition, Skye Cleary shares, “I created the work in this exhibition to examine and bring awareness to how ridiculous it is to feel shame from earning a living as an exotic dancer. To use humor to make light of it. I fear that society is afraid of women owning the power they already have. I want to address how women are often judged by their physical being and expected to feel shame in relation to their bodies. Most importantly, I want to encourage other young women to own their sexuality and have control of it.”
Spanning various mediums including performance, text, illustration, and painting, Skye Cleary’s artwork challenges conventional boundaries and celebrates the complexity of female identity. Her narrative resonates with audiences worldwide, sparking conversations about autonomy, representation, and societal expectations.
Skye Cleary, the sex doll artist, was conceived by Lisa Levy in 2018. While doing research on the human imagination, Levy was gifted a sex doll from a prominent therapist. She realized that this symbol of a beautiful young woman could be useful to give voice to the messages of self-empowerment she imparts to young women on her radio show and in person.
She called on her close friend and painter, Sharilyn Neidhardt to work with her to give voice and artistic presence to Skye Clearly. Like the creative process used to create advertising, copywriter and art director working in teams, Sharilyn and Lisa began creating paintings and therefore a life for Skye.
Her job presents her as an object more than as a whole person—the talented artist that she is. She worries that the art world won’t take her seriously because of her exotic dancing and life as a sex worker. The work she is inspired to make is driven by, and about, this conflicting mix of motivations. In essence, the role of the sex doll has come full circle.
Once thought of as a human-like object for a sex partner, Skye is still in the role of a beautiful young woman, but instead of a sex partner, she now has an art career. Much of the contemporary art world is concerned with identity. With AI art, we are asking, “who is the artist?” An important question posed here is: “can a doll be the artist?”
To view the full collection and get to know the work of Skye Clearly, head to The Untitled Space website to see more while “SKYE CLEARY NEVER GETS OLD” is on display until the end of March. Here’s to a world in which we can have the nuanced conversations about sex, sexuality, identity, and agency through art. When we see narratives that push the boundaries and encourage us to blur the lines in a way that threatens patriarchal norms, it can only lead to a more inclusive society where our bodies are not weaponized or commodified for the benefit of the male gaze.
