Sex/Twist

Featuring works of Daniela Comani, Sharon Engelstein, Bryan Florentin, Debora Hunter, Keri Oldham and David Van Ness
July 9-August 13, 2011
Artist reception July 9, 6:30 pm

Sex/Twist is a show that explores the repercussions of living in a time still defined by the Victorian era. While most people would agree that "repression" passed out of fashion long ago, the French philosopher Michel Foucault put forth a History of Sexuality that suggests that, on the contrary, we're still operating within the confines of specific cultural taboos. In Volume I of his dense trilogy, he debunks commonly held notions that we're no longer surprised or shocked by sexual license. And, in large part, Sex/Twist is a visual representation of Foucault's assertions.

Bryan Florentin, "Archive E," dimensions variable, digital pigment print, mixed media (from a stack of 4), 2011

This exhibition is a visual means of pushing boundaries and making us reclaim territory we thought was ours all along. Namely, our bodies and what we choose to do with them. Sex/Twist is an opportunity to explore secrecy, hypocrisy, community, dogma and control. In light of scandals that have occupied news outlets for years—Clinton, Spitzer, Edwards, Schwartzenegger, Strauss-Khan, and Weiner—this show is a chance to re-examine ethical stances. It's an imaginative way of focusing on the dynamics of the "powerful" versus their "victims," as well as our patriarchal structure as a whole supported by the procreative couple.