Focused on the manipulation of the body through narrational and explorations of identity, the works of these three female artists engage in a dialogue in the recently inaugurated exhibition Katelyn Kopenhaver, Paola Martínez Fiterre, Renee Cox at the Pen+Brush gallery in New York City. Until October 5, don’t miss this group show exploring new takes on contemporary photography.
How are bodies depicted today? And more specifically, women’s bodies? They’ve been objectified since the dawn of times, abused and controlled by everyone but themselves – think restrictive abortion laws, female genital mutilation or virginity as a symbol of goodness, for example. But Renee, Katelyn and Paola, each coming from a different background, defy all this through their oeuvre, which includes photo, film and performance. Subversive and at times hard-edged, as the gallery defines, the pieces in this collective exhibition show how these artists tackle themes like violence, abuse, safety, or even immigration and displacement – Paola being Cuban and Renee, Jamaican.
For this show, Cox presents a new series of artworks related to sacred geometry and fractals. Embracing digital creation, the Jamaica-born artist uses portraits of both male and female bodies that she’s shot and cuts them out to layer them in kaleidoscopic ways, thus exploring “the power of the body through symbols and collective imagination and dimensionality within photography.” On another hand, Paola Martínez Fiterre expresses herself through photography and performance to bring to light questions about the public and the private, voyeurism, desire, and representation of the female form. As she says about the artworks presented, “These self-portraits have given me the freedom to express myself more openly and directly to explore how my gestures and expression might emulate how the Cuban, migrant woman and artist is represented today”.
Formally trained as a photographer but expanding her creativity to other artistic expressions like video, installation and performance, Katelyn Kopenhaver focuses her body of work on those moments where we ask ourselves, should I intervene? Tackling themes as concerning as sex trafficking, abduction, predatorial personalities or sociopathy, the artist looks for the viewer’s visceral reaction and wants people to question their role as mere observers when witnessing moments of violence that later cause trauma to the victims. In addition to her artworks, on the 7th of September, Kopenhaver will also be performing from 6 pm at the gallery.
For this show, Cox presents a new series of artworks related to sacred geometry and fractals. Embracing digital creation, the Jamaica-born artist uses portraits of both male and female bodies that she’s shot and cuts them out to layer them in kaleidoscopic ways, thus exploring “the power of the body through symbols and collective imagination and dimensionality within photography.” On another hand, Paola Martínez Fiterre expresses herself through photography and performance to bring to light questions about the public and the private, voyeurism, desire, and representation of the female form. As she says about the artworks presented, “These self-portraits have given me the freedom to express myself more openly and directly to explore how my gestures and expression might emulate how the Cuban, migrant woman and artist is represented today”.
Formally trained as a photographer but expanding her creativity to other artistic expressions like video, installation and performance, Katelyn Kopenhaver focuses her body of work on those moments where we ask ourselves, should I intervene? Tackling themes as concerning as sex trafficking, abduction, predatorial personalities or sociopathy, the artist looks for the viewer’s visceral reaction and wants people to question their role as mere observers when witnessing moments of violence that later cause trauma to the victims. In addition to her artworks, on the 7th of September, Kopenhaver will also be performing from 6 pm at the gallery.
The exhibition Katelyn Kopenhaver, Paola Martínez Fiterre, Renee Cox is on view until October 5 at Pen+Brush gallery, 29 East 22nd Street, New York City.
Katelyn Kopenhaver
Paola Martínez Fiterre
Renee Cox
