What F Word?
curated by Carol Cole Levin
Opening reception: Thursday, February 15, 6-9 pm
Ghada Amer &
Reza Farkhondeh
Janet Biggs
Phyllis Bramson
Carol Cole
Patricia Cronin
Nancy Davidson
Lesley Dill
Diane Edison
Susan Paul Firestone
Dana Frankfort
Lauren Gibbes
Gina Gibson
Kate Gilmore
Nancy Grossman
Jane Hammond
Rajkamal Kahlon
Robin Kahn
Deborah Kass
Suzanne McClelland Beverly McIver
Ulrike Mueller
Barbara Nessim
Shay Nowick
Brenda Oelbaum
Lesley Patterson-Marx Elaine Reichek
Beatrice Schall
Rachel Selekman Lowery Stokes Sims Anita Steckel
Sabyna Sterrett
Jennifer Viola
May Wilson
Cynthia Broan Gallery will present What F Word?, a group exhibition curated by Carol Cole Levin of female artists
representing multiple generations. Works that span 45 years are all somehow connected to an “F” word.
In the 50’s, there was only one meaning for the “F” word and that was the slang word for copulation; coincidentally, the act of love that begets the life that begins in a female womb. In the last decade, the “F” word has been used derogatively to refer to words like “feminist” and “fascist,” even “flag” was draped in controversy. How will we refer to this decade? Is this the art of the 00”s? Does it have gender? “G” follows “F” in the English alphabet. Why do English nouns not have gender like the Romance and Germanic languages? Who decided the gender of their nouns?
“Say Something,” a painting of Dana Frankfort implores. Suzanne McClelland mockingly replies in Coming to a Head on how to give a blow job in pink and red. Ghada Amer and Reza Farkhondeh ever so subtly suggest females making love in Dalliances. Embroidery and fabric are everywhere, materials long associated with the female. Digital embroidery, right or left brain? Who is right? Who is left? Where is feeling? What represents fact? Jennifer Viola uses an alphabet of sign language to express more than the letter “F.” Sabyna Sterrett in Flood, hand stitches pearls on fabric printed with fish (a Christian symbol of faith) to memorialize the devastating Easter flood in 1979 of the Pearl River that flows through Mississippi, the same river that was dragged for bodies during civil rights trials in the 60’s.
Feminist? Fascist? Fear? Flag? Figure? Face? Ferocious? Fanatic? Faith? Future? Family? Food?
Flood? Fire? Fortune? Finance? Fish? Friend? Fame? Free? Fun? Facetious? Fad? Flower? Fancy?
This exhibition is dedicated to the memory of Arlene Raven.
The work are by Shay Nowick.