Ridykeulous Gets Serious – Marisa Ripo

Ridykeulous Installation. Participant Inc.

Upon first glance at the press release for Participant Inc’s "Ridykeulous," one knows what they are in for. The show, curated by A.L. Steiner and Nicole Eisenman, consists of works by 46 different artists, classified as misandrists. This clear, mocking classification, plainly stated at the top of the release is echoed throughout the entire show. "Ridykeulous" addresses serious issues, without taking itself too seriously. By shamelessly poking fun at lesbian taboos, this show brings them to a new light, forcing the masses to realize how preposterous these ideas are.

Based upon the curators’ publication of the same name, Ridykeulous, pops off of the walls in Participant’s space, making the viewer feel as if they have walked into the pages of a magazine. Unapologetically abandoning the Whistler style of presentation, works are overlapped, stacked salon style and placed on the floor, breaking up the normal white cube experience. This display proves to be most effective for the work presented. As the pieces are extremely bold and intended to overwhelm, the confrontational style of the exhibition immensely strengthens this message. In addition, this particular style adds a contemporary feel to the exhibition that cannot be ignored. The persistence of the multiple images is intensely current, mimicking the bombardment of imagery in the media, graphic arts and even everyday life. Participant Inc. appears to be the idealized, counter-culture Times Square. All the benefits of massive reproduced imagery with none of the mainstream corporate, political or social agenda.

The intent of "Ridykeulous," according to the gallery, is to destroy "the attendant limitations placed on a culture forced to operate as an alternative, rather than a viable contributor to the conversation at large." In ways, this exhibit both surpasses its goals and also falls short. The experience as a collective, the positioning, the intent, the pieces itself, are successful. Yet there is still a bit of edge to the work, thankfully of course, which makes the work remain alternative. This may be beneficial however, depending on the view one takes. If a collaborative of artists successfully opposes the confinement of lesbian art to the alternative world, yet the show itself is alternative, does this reverse the nature of the movement? Does "Ridykeulous" then become counter-culture, moving regular, run-of-the-mill feminist or lesbian art to the mainstream arena?

This theory is effective in terms of many of the works on view at Participant Inc. A majority of the artists who contributed provided pieces that, shown in any other context, would remain as strong both conceptually and aesthetically. It is works such as Suzanne Wright’s stunning Choo-Choo which do achieve the goal of moving feminist issues past the alternative classification. Wright’s large-scale, meticulously rendered, colored pencil drawing is both the first image you see upon entering Participant Inc. and the cover of the published magazine. The image, aesthetically pleasing as it is, remains very controversial. Depicted in Wright’s Choo-Choo is the backside of a female morphing into a train trestle. In its position in the gallery, marking the stairs up to the space, it is displayed over the words "Memo from God! Evolution Is Finally Over!" Out of this context however, the work is still impressive, especially when one sees a similar image in the printed magazine Ridykeulous. Wright’s Hoover, a watercolor, mimics the same fluid style of Choo-Choo. Here, the artist has a reclining nude spreading her legs to become the famous dam. Undoubtedly chockfull of feministic undertones, these two works would feel right at home exhibited in any space, alternative or otherwise. It is artists like Wright whose work is clearly defended by Ridykeulous, showing what great work is overlooked by forcing it outside of the major realm.

In line with Wright’s dainty masterpieces is Carrie Moyer’s Chromafesto. With a similar use of bright colors, Moyer’s iconic painting overlaps multiple images in the artist’s signature style. The positive feminist imagery in Chromafesto fits perfectly into Steiner and Eisenman’s vision while still remains complete in itself. Moyer’s images blend masterfully layering the female symbol with a clenched fist, making a powerful statement. The work itself has a perfect balance of colors, a mix of blurred and defined shapes.

Another of the more formal pieces on view at Participant Inc. is Kathe Burkhardt’s No Fucking Way. A 2006 addition to the artist’s "Liz Taylor Series," the large Warhol-esque portrait depicts the icon laughing. Done in bold colors, the massive purple eyelids and shimmering gold jewelry stand out amongst the other works in the gallery. They are especially accented by the nine black drawings stacked on the wall opposing the painting. The series of drawings by Ulrike Mueller, appropriately titled 9 Drawings, utilizes simple lines and shapes to create suggestive imagery. Aesthetically pleasing in their simplicity, Mueller’s drawings are open to the viewer’s interpretation. In the printed version of Ridykeulous, however, each drawing is paired with a title, influencing the viewing experience more directly. A simple drawing consisting of two converging lines and two half moons takes on new meaning when paired with the name Adolescent Thighs.

In addition to the classical paintings and drawings exhibited in "Ridykeulous," there is also an intense amount of photography incorporated into the show. Many of the photographs on display were quite confrontational, depicting harsh and sometimes vulgar images. Others were exactly the opposite, showing peaceful everyday scenes. One of the more disturbing images is K8 Hardy’s Fashionfashion Money Look depicting a woman reclining on a window sill in a pair of soiled, dollar sign printed underwear. Although the power of the female is evident in the photograph, it is conveyed in a much more provocative way than in the works of the other photographers. A.L. Steiner’s C.L.U.E had a much more subtle, masked agenda, yet still remains powerful. The co-curator’s photograph presented two women dressed in head to toe red. They are standing in a desolate parking lot with a deconstructed, rural background and both have an unmistakably lonely look. Even more serene than the image of Steiner is Eve Fowler’s Guitar Lesson. The most subdued and beautifully understated of the entire exhibition, Fowler’s image is also the most romantic. Two females sit, close together, separated by only a guitar in a van. The image is powerful yet calming and more than one viewer was overheard to comment upon the sheer beauty of the image.

"Ridykeulous" was not confined to two dimensional works, but included a few sculptures as well. The most noticeable and the first sculpture one encounters upon entering Participant, is Christian Lemmerz’s Charles Saatchi’s Dick. This gruesome, yet comical, piece depicts the castrated organ of the super-collector housed in a urinal. Lemmerz does not miss a beat and includes fake blood and cigarette butts in this bizarre nod to Duchamp. Another sculpture, Bush Wackers, by Lindsay Brant also incorporates humor in its literal depiction of two beavers engaging in oral sex.

Through the exhibition of both classical works, incorporating lesbian and feminist themes and lighter fare, such as pamphlets and propaganda tee-shirts "Ridykeulous" was able to break free of all prior constraints. Creators, A.L. Steiner and Nicole Eisenman promised to "fulfill all of your lifestyle needs" and that is exactly what they did.