“D I C K S” at FORTNIGHT INSTITUTE

 BETTY TOMPKINS, Dick Painting #3, 24 x 24 inches, Acrylic on canvas, 2016

“D I C K S”

October 26—December 4, 2016 
FORTNIGHT INSTITUTE
60 East 4th Street
New York NY 10002 

Artists:
ELIZABETH BERDANN, CYNTHIA PLASTER CASTER, JESSE CHAPMAN, AURA ROSENBERG, MIRA SCHOR, AUREL SCHMIDT, BETTY TOMPKINS, NICOLE WITTENBERG 

By INGRID DINTER, NOV. 2016

In a charming jewel box storefront gallery on East 4th Street, called Fortnight Institute, a passerby these days might encounter an exhibition of what appears as an odd cabinet of curiosities: paintings and such, of male genitalia. The exhibition is affectionately (never mind all the various associations) titled “Dicks”.  

The paintings and drawings on view were created by eight artists, mostly women (Jesse Chapman is the lone male). Spanning different generations and decades of production the works address different, though somewhat similar, renderings of the—to reduce it to it’s most basic function—male reproductive organ - but oh, it is so much more than that! 

NICOLE WITTENBERG, Mr. Limpy, Oil on canvas, 2016

In this exhibition the penis seems to be so often mysteriously disembodied. To begin with, we see Betty Tompkins acid green canvas of 2016—on the right, from the street, through the window—with a horizontal penis thrusting from the right edge of the painting—unattached, it points the way. In Betty’s case, pointing us into the room, like that index finger, to see what else is going on.

Betty tells a story—that John Cheim (of Cheim and Read gallery) once said, in her presence, that the two things which guarantee that a painting won’t sell is the color green and a penis. Naturally, Betty couldn’t wait to get back to her studio to paint just that. Spread the love.

MIRA SCHOR, Boy Meets Girl, Oil on linen, 12 x 16 inches, 1993

Across from Betty are two paintings, from 1992-93, by Mira Schor and there is a more complex narrative happening in Schor's work. In this case, the penis is also pointing from right to left, a representation of the ancient association with patriarchal power, male dominance and control of women (female sexuality—yikes, that uncontrollable thing—how can I be sure who my offspring is?), from God’s penis to Mary’s ear—what better than an Immaculate Conception to issue forth our Messiah. 

In the painting on the left, the penis encounters the female presence in the form of a red semi-colon, symbolizing language—with the penis looking a lot like it is about to give it a kiss.  On the right is “Grey Snake”, depicting a penis heading out as an extension of said ear, only to do a U-turn and double back on itself—let us reflect. 

Elizabeth Berdann presents us with that (perceived) male dilemma: “Good, Better, Best”, from 1988; regular, larger, and biggest—eternal competition, comparison, measure of worth. Strong, stronger, strongest. Not just in the arena of procreation, but also to protect and defend. In this particular case, our dear friend looks sad, but maybe he is just at rest, awaiting his next assignation. 

ELIZABETH BERDANN, Good, Better, Best, 11 X 24 inches, Oil on wood, engraved brass labels, 1988

Aurel Schmidt lovingly renders, in a detailed drawing “Sometimes, Always” (2016), a proud erect penis, surging vertically forth like a spore splashing mushroom. Reaching for the sky, the heights, the promised bliss—a celebration of heated desire. The paper is peppered with cum—presumably from a cooperative friend. 

AUREL SCHMIDT, Sometimes, Always, Charcoal, colored pencil, cum on paper, 25 x 18 inches, 2016

Cynthia Plaster Caster is a name that has been popping up now and then since forever. After all the hearsay, here is an example of an actual rock star penis: Jimi Hendrix. Done for real, how she was able to get this to happen, I can not imagine. Jimi is enshrined on a pedestal, with a protective plexiglass surround, we can admire his natural endowment at eye level - you go, Jimi…! 

Jesse Chapman shows us a painting from 2012. For some reason every time I look at this I think I am looking at a sheep, a ram. Something Aries is going on here, but at rest. And quite tucked away in it’s uncircumcised fold, incommunicado. The main color is rusty, and the surrounding elements suggest a shaggy dog, not quite open for business. Probably friendly, but come back later.

Aura Rosenberg brings a whole wheelbarrow load of penises for our perusal, tucked into rocks. They look like body parts set for display into some other material. Disembodied, again. Are these the penises all those fed up others chopped off and tossed into the sea, only to wash back up on shore, locked in the embrace of some rock? 

AURA ROSENBERG, Dialectical Porn Rocks, Rocks, newspaper, xerox, resin, Dimensions variable, 1989 - 2016

Aura told us a story of living upstate and needing to work on something and chose this subject matter—which she made waterproof, and would place in the trout stream where her husband went fishing, these works span from 1989-2016. 

Nicole Wittenberg’s whimsical and lightly rendered pink drawing called “Mr. Limpy” 2016, looks like a smudge. Did Mr. Limpy let himself be painted and then pressed to paper, to leave a trace of his presence? Well, it’s oil on canvas, so maybe he sprang from the artist’s head, an idea, a thought, something the cat dragged in - or that lump of ice cream that fell to the floor—lick it up…

Added bonus: historical context. Fabiola Alondra and Jane Harmon, proprietors of Fortnight Institute and organizers of the exhibition, squeeze in some relevant small phallic objects and a little library of erotic supporting material, on to shelves in the back windows.  

You can hang out here and soak up the vibe. Contemplate what “Dick” might mean, particularly from a female point of view. 

Several of the artists reached out to pornography for their source material, so the depictions are not personal (who needs a model when you can go online.)  

This exhibition has the look of a study for a larger, more expansive, exploration of a timely idea. WM