International Juried Exhibition, presented by the Women’s Caucus for Art at gallery nine5 from May 31 to June 22, 2014 with Anne Swartz and Maria Elena Buszek as jurors. “Identity” is an exhibition that address identity: In a world dominated by pop culture, society and the media – how is identity defined? Anne and Maria chose 25 works from 21 artists to be shown in gallery nine 5 and an additional 85 featured in the catalog.

EXHIBITION in conjunction with the Women’s Caucus for Art at gallery nine5, NYC, May 31-June 22, 2014. Opening May 31, 6-8:00 p.m. Performance art by Megan Mantia and Leone Anne Reeves at 4:30 p.mIn a world dominated by pop culture, society and the media – how is identity defined? Click here for the Identity Press Release

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

#CuratorLove, Bonnie Kamhi and “HerStory” 2019

Posted on December 12, 2019 by Karen

Bonnie Kamhi “Devoured in Nature”

The “HerStory” 2019 continues a decades-long dedication by Renée Phillips in creating and presenting an annual exhibition devoted to art by women on the Manhattan Arts International website. This call was open to all women artists around the world and all themes, subjects, styles and mediums were welcome. The show ran run through September 20, 2019. (I give my sincere apologies to the artist and to Renée for the lateness in my write-up, I was sidelined for a while due to personal issues and my writing got put on the back burner for some time).

I was so pleased to be asked to be a special recognition art award panelist again for “HerStory” 2019 that was juried by Renée Phillips, Director of Manhattan Arts International. She is an amazing mentor and career advisor for art professionals and it is a privilege to work with her in support of women in the arts. Renée stated “We will continue to present annual “HerStory” exhibitions until there is a fair and equal balance of women artists represented by art museums, galleries, art book publishers, major private and public collections, auction houses, and the media.” I could not agree more—and I will continue my focus on exhibition opportunities for women artists, particularly on feminist themes until we see equality not only in the art world but in society also.

For this exhibition I chose the work of Bonnie Kamhi. She is a sculptor, photographer and natural story-teller who expresses contemporary and timeless messages about women. My usual focus is activist/feminist art and while Bonnie’s work does not fall within this genre, to spoke to me of the strength and resilience of women.

Bonnie’s work is visually arresting—it stopped me in my tracks to delve in and explore further. The work is gorgeous and lush, but now knowing her process I am even more intrigued and mesmerized. She is truly unique in her practice. The work has so many layers and nuances and while the exhibition had many fabulous pieces, I kept coming back to Bonnie’s work over and over. It sparked something in my mind and heart that could not be ignored.

A master of form, Bonnie first creates beautiful sculptures, with porcelain clay, of women with exquisite details. How she can capture such realistic form in pieces quite small is a mystery to me. As a feminist, I appreciate that the female form is not through the lens of the male gaze of objectified female—the arched back, unnatural pose with jutting buttocks or hips, waiting passively for male attention. Her figures are strong, self-assured and comfortable in their own al-natural skin, in a meditative state.

She then creates a still life with flowers to place her figures. The figure appears as the original Eve, before man cast and blamed her for sin and subjugated to patriarchy and deemed inferior and weak. The figure is in paradise, reveling in her solitude.

Lastly Bonnie photographs the still life and prints the image as her final art. The lighting and tonality in her prints is superb. My favorite of her works is “Devoured in Nature”, Archival print on Entrada Rag Natural paper, 23 x 29 inches, 2017.

From Bonnie’s statement: “I tell stories through a three-part process that involves first creating sculptures, then photographing and transforming them into digital images. The focus of my work involves marrying various aspects of the female form with the grace, beauty and lushness of leaves, flowers, and nature. In this way, I am able to evoke and express emotions within me that I need to share. The special hands-on relationship I have with physically forming each sculpture gives me the freedom to materialize in three dimensions whatever I visualize in my mind. The fact that I actually touch and feel the softness and flow evolve as I manipulate the clay. It allows me to nuance my work with an intimacy and closeness that I cannot achieve in any other way.”

Bonnie’s artwork is in numerous private collections which include many commissions. All of her work is printed on archival paper “Entrada Rag Natural.” High quality archival inks are used in the workmanship of the production. The buyer of her art receives a signed Certificate of Authenticity. More of her work can be viewed here: https://bonniekamhi.com/

The hand that rocks the cradle also rocks the world. Women are coming together in empowerment and to create positive change. Women build things, they are the glue for society in creating and maintaining families and building the foundations for their children and their future children to be successful. Women are also coming together to address issues to fight for our shared values and humanity and demand what we need from those in power. Bonnie’s work celebrates women’s beauty and strength.

I’m very empowered by the number of high-quality exhibitions being put together to promote women in the arts. 2020 is going to be a banner year, with exhibitions, the celebration of the 100^th year of women voting in the US and hopefully with many more women being elected into politics too!

Karen Gutfreund

Activist + Feminist Curator + Artist

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#CuratorLove, Bonnie Kamhi and “HerStory” 2019