The SOMArts Cultural Center Turns the Tables by Exhibition of ~ Man as Object

Written by Evangeline Peabody Tuesday, 18 October 2011 22:59

San francisco, California.- The SOMArts Cultural Center and Women’s Caucus for Art is proud to present "Man as Object: Reversing the Gaze" on view from November 4th through November 30th.  This  exhibition re-envisions gender, society and the politics of exposure. With a gallery filled with men stripped naked, this body of work exposes women's cheeky, provocative and sometimes shocking commentaries on the opposite sex. The exhibition’s contemporary scope encompasses all the ways that women view Man-as-Object, reversing the traditional view of male artists objectifying women. The show’s extensive collection of male adoration, male impersonation and male appendages may make the viewer squirm a little. But that is precisely the point. The more than 100 women artists in the exhibition unapologetically reveal how they really see men. Through this public display at SOMArts Cultural Center, the show’s organizers aim to equalize the gaze between the sexes.

The goal of this exhibition Man as Object - Reversing the Gaze is to turn the tables and to exhibit works that put the male in the position of art subject and spectacle. What does it mean to objectify men? What does it mean to reverse the (male) gaze? What are the visible signs of maleness and masculinity? How are feminist artists challenging societal views regarding men and masculinity? The exhibition will examine the visibility of men and masculinity from female/feminist/transgender perspectives. In so doing it necessarily problematizes notions of 'men,' 'male,' 'masculinity,' 'women' and 'female' while exploring new possibilities for the gaze. Not only will the male figure be taking on the historically 'female' or passive role as object of the gaze, but the surveyor is now positioned as active and critical of traditional gender roles, thus creating a truly feminist stance. The male body and its gender expression become spectacle for a woman's viewing and contemplation.


Surveying the ways men are represented in contemporary art by women, this exhibition will open new dialogues regarding the myriad of ways how women view men in today's culture and society. This exhibition will explore women's responses to a male dominated world in a different way than an exhibition of women's images of themselves. It will mark an important development in Feminist Art, which has long concentrated on images of women meant to challenge stereotypical notions of womanhood. A gallery filled with works depicting men, created by women, actively resists the prevalence of the male gaze in art as well as the continued domination of male artists exhibiting in galleries and museums. The show will travel to the Kinsey Institute Gallery, Bloomington, IN in April 2012. The exhibition has its own website, where more information can be obtained, visit http://manasobject.weebly.com

SOMArts (South of Market Arts, Resources, Technology, and Services) has a colorful history that spans over 40 years and is garnished with many periods of celebration, struggle and transformation.  Although it has not always gone by the same name, the mission of creating a cultural resource for the local community has been a constant. Like many things at SOMArts, this history is a work-in-progress, culled from first-person testimony and written documents found on-site as well as other community resources. In 1967, amid anti-war protests and struggles to establish civil rights, the Neighborhood Arts Program (NAP) was created by the San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC) in order to promote community by providing funding for the arts that reaches beyond the city’s established arts institutions. Under the direction of Martin Snipper, the city purchased the 17,000 square foot Brannan Street building that became home to Support Services for the Arts. This program eventually provides the city with four artistic services. a mural resource center, costume bank, graphic services and administering Comprehensive Employment and Training Act funds.


The organization produces three of its own curated exhibitions annually, along with numerous collaborative programs, and provides space for four guest-curated exhibitions annually through the Commons Curatorial Residency Program, which includes a stipend for selected curators and/or artist groups in addition to outreach and production support. The vaulted, 2-story gallery is 3,100 sq feet, a majestic space and the largest open gallery space in the city. Through its Affordable Space Program, SOMArts annually hosts group exhibitions for ArtSpan Open Studios (October), the National Queer Arts Festival (June) and the United States of Asian America Festival (May). The SOMArts Main Gallery exhibits the work of over 1,000 Bay Area artists each year, providing them with dynamic opportunities to take risks, find new collaborators, reach a wider audience, and achieve their vision. SOMArts’ Curator & Gallery Director Justin Hoover annually curates 2–3 exhibitions and supports curatorial residencies. Visit the center's website at ... http://www.somarts.org

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