Renate Bertlmann, Eva im sack (‘Eva in bag’, 2010) (detail). Digital print, 80 x 80 cm. Courtesy: the artist and Richard Saltoun, London
Sex-Work is a new section for Frieze London 2017, curated by Alison Gingeras, exploring feminist art and radical politics
The section at Frieze London will be dedicated to women artists working at the extreme edges of feminist practice since the 1960s, and the galleries who supported them, including: Galerie Andrea Caratsch presenting Betty Tompkins; Blum and Poe presenting Penny Slinger; Richard Saltoun presenting Renate Bertlmann; Salon 94 presenting Marilyn Minter; and Hubert Winter presenting Birgit Jürgenssen.
Sex Work, Gingeras has said, will ‘pay homage to artists who transgressed sexual mores, gender norms and the tyranny of political correctness and were frequently the object of censorship in their day’ in addition to ‘highlighting the seminal role galleries have played in exhibiting the radical women artists who were not easily assimilated into mainstream narratives of feminist art.’
‘These galleries often blazed a trail for museum exhibitions’, she explains. ‘Many figures in this section – such as Renate Bertlmann, Birgit Jürgenssen, Penny Slinger and Betty Tompkins – were too transgressive to be included in anthologizing museum shows, which arguably forged a consensual canon for important feminist art. The belated reception of these pioneering women has had a profound impact on many artists working today and resonate more than ever with the new feminisms that are taking shape in response to contemporary political realities.’
For a list of Galleries Participating in Sex Work visit: frieze.com/sex-work
