Feminist art shows “Man as Object”

The Kinsey Institute is objectifying men, literally.

The Institute’s newest installation, “Man as Object: Reversing the Gaze,” highlights modern masculinity from a female perspective. The exhibit was organized by the Women’s Caucus for Art, and prior to coming to Bloomington, it was shown at the SOMArts Cultural Center in San Francisco.

The display is meant to resist “the prevalence of the male gaze in art,” and features a gallery full of male images created by females.

Images range from a stylized portrait of George Washington to pictures of men in feathery pillow fights. The display hopes to start a conversation regarding the ways women view men in popular culture.

The show is a departure from typical feminist art, which is normally concentrated on images of women in unconventional roles.

Laura Hartford, an IU MFA student, is showcasing a painting, “Eric with Flowers,” at the exhibit. Hartford’s painting features a man closing his eyes in a woods. The man is shirtless and has a bonnet of flowers wrapped around his head.

“Eric” explores the ways “media, myth and popular culture assign gender identification to objects, gestures and the art of looking,” according to Hartford’s artist statement.

“Man as Object” will be on display through June 29, and the exhibit is free for all
attendees.

— Nona Tepper