Exploration of Tom Wesselmann's 'Up Close' and its portrayal of human desire's intricate structure
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In the vibrant and transformative era of the 1970s, American culture witnessed an unprecedented mainstreaming of pornography and sexually explicit content, a phenomenon often referred to as "porno chic." This period was marked by films like Deep Throat (1972) and Last Tango in Paris (1972) gaining wide attention, not only in adult venues but also in regular cinemas, accompanied by public discourse featuring celebrities and intellectuals.
Among the artists who navigated this cultural landscape was Tom Wesselmann, a prominent figure in the Pop Art movement. Known for his bold use of everyday imagery, consumer culture, and the female nude, Wesselmann's work took an unexpected turn with his penis paintings—explicit depictions of male genitalia.
These paintings, such as 'Bedroom Painting #19' (1969), challenge traditional notions of erotic art, which historically emphasised female nudity as objectified imagery. By portraying the male penis as a subject of high art, Wesselmann confronted viewers with male sexuality exposed, thus destabilising typical gendered dynamics of erotic representation.
The 'Bedroom Series', which includes 'Bedroom Painting #19', features a recurring background that resembles a film set. The penis in Wesselmann's work becomes an erotic contradiction, able to be full of desire yet framed in a way that could be completely divorced of it. Pieces like 'Bedroom Painting #19' and 'Bedroom Painting #30' contain a solitary, burnt out cigarette in an ashtray, symbolising phallic imagery and post-coital pleasure.
Wesselmann's work, such as 'Cut-Out Mouth' (1977), echoes the era of the golden age of porn with its vivid red, wide open mouth, and extreme close-ups. His pop art sensibility is evident in his use of simplified forms and vivid colors, making his works objects like soup cans and comic strips of his contemporaries.
The exhibition 'Up Close', running until 12 April at Almine Rech, presents a selection of Wesselmann's work, including his penis paintings. The exhibition title suggests a focus on detailed, intimate examination of Wesselmann's work. 'Up Close' does not aim to answer the question of what one desires, but rather presents objects and fragments to help understand what makes them desirable.
Wesselmann's seascapes place nudes outside of bedrooms, moving them to backdrops of skies, seas, and sand. These pieces push the limits of form and figuration, leaving a lack of context as the place where desire can be formed. The dissonance between the objects and their locations in Wesselmann's work leaves a lingering question: is this what one desires?
The period from 1969 to the 1970s saw sexually explicit and pornographic films gain cultural acceptance and serious consideration as art. Wesselmann's penis paintings exist in a space between figurative and abstract, straddling the line between mainstream pop art and 'porno chic.' They occupy an intriguing position within the cultural and artistic landscape of the 1970s, embodying and complicating the "porno chic" cultural moment.
By bringing male sexuality into the gallery space with the frankness typically reserved for adult cinemas, Wesselmann contributed to the era’s dismantling of sexual shame and censorship. His work stood at the crossroads of pop culture, fine art, and the sexual revolution, reflecting the tensions and freedoms that marked 1970s America.
To learn more about the exhibition, visit Almine Rech's website at alminerech.com.
In this vibrant era of the 1970s, characterized by the merging of sexually explicit content and pop culture, the health-and-wellness aspect of sexual-health educational content could have benefited from the unprecedented mainstream attention. For instance, a series of informative, yet tasteful, Hollywood-style scenes showcasing safe-sex practices and sexual health awareness could have been integrated into the popular porno chic films, serving both entertainment and health-education purposes.
As the exhibition 'Up Close' delves deep into the intricacies of Tom Wesselmann's work, a thought-provoking pop-culture analysis could have been presented alongside the hangings, exploring the cultural implications of his penis paintings within the context of the sexual revolution and the normalized perceptions of male sexuality, broadening the discussion to encompass both the visual arts and health-and-wellness discourse for a more holistic understanding of the era.
