If you are in the New York City area, we highly suggest getting yourselves over to the Untitled Space gallery in Lower Manhattan to check out their latest exhibit “EXPOSED”, opening September 26 and running until October 12. Featuring work by a duo of pioneer feminist artists, Grace Graupe-Pillard and Robin Tewes and curated by gallery owner and artist Indira Cesarine, the exhibit presents their unique female perspective on contemporary America with works that inspire an ongoing dialogue and challenge the outdated notions of men and women’s conventional roles.
Their signature styles reveal portraits that address a shift in consciousness by examining the way we perceive one another. Voyeuristic themes have consistently inspired both artists, yet their individual styles approach it conceptually from unique angles. Exhibition “EXPOSED,” through a selection of recent as well as historical works by both artists, reflects on the fragility of being human, and reveals a vision of our culture that is at once subtle yet a remarkable reminder of the struggles faced in these challenging and changing times.
In Graupe-Pillard’s realist portraits and paintings of nudes, the backgrounds are stripped bare as are the subjects. The naked and larger than life portraits give her an opportunity to emphasize the subject’s individualism, as well as address the human condition and aging process. Her more recent paintings, inspired by selfies and iPhone photographs, attempt to convey the vitality and diversity of 21st century contemporary culture while capturing the ineffable moments in our lives.
“The sensuality and radiant beauty of youth and ethnic diversity are depicted in my choice of subjects, as well as the ravages of time which are imprinted on our being. All stages of life are filled with humanity that both elevates and dissipates the spirit,” said the artist in a statement.
Robin Tewes’s work reflects not only the artist’s expression of her inner thoughts and feelings but also her fascination with the interconnection of interior and exterior spaces. Her paintings invoke a complex and often surreal narrative of voyeurism that draws the viewer into an intimate dialogue.
“I’m interested in how much a single narrative moment can tell us about our selves and the culture we live in. My work is involved with expressing paradoxical truths and the short stories have psychological theory. I think of the world as a stage, loaded with images that I’m interested in redefining or evaluating, so that I become the voyeur along with the viewer,” explained the artist.
In addition to her art practice, Tewes has worked as an educator, lecturer, curator and activist. She has contributed socially-minded works to numerous exhibitions and benefits focusing on issues including women’s reproductive rights, human trafficking, aggression, environmentalism, and the Iraq War. Tewes has long been rumored to be one of the original members of the controversial, anonymous feminist collective the Guerrilla Girls, known as member “Alice Neel.”
The exhibit will be presenting many previously unexhibited works by both artists, as well as several historically significant paintings from the 1970’s and 80’s. Curator Indira says it was also important to make a statement about gender and age through this exhibit.
“Aside from their phenomenal body of work, I find it is extremely important to fight against agism in the art world, as many senior artists are sidelined in the industry,” she said.
There are some abysmal statistics outlined by the National Museum of Women in the Arts regarding gender discrimination in the art world, which adds another layer of timeliness and relevance to “EXPOSED”. Be sure to head down to Untitled Space to support the work of these two pioneer feminist artists, and get more info from the gallery’s website by clicking here.
