The ACE gallery presents a new exhibit by one of its pet artists, Martin Schoeller. This time, Schoeller chronicles female bodybuilders in his signature "in your face" giant size photographs, a dozen portraits staring at the viewer. As Schoeller states, "These women mirror our modern cultural hunger for size and aggression, and attention at any cost."The overall feeling is that of oppression and discomfort -- Schoeller's intention. "We are in the age of Bigness," he says. "Bigger televisions, bigger automobiles, bigger wars, bigger people. While many people push their physical limits, these women go all out, risking their lives for an ideal of female masculinity. Their insatiable appetite to embody it all may reflect our own lust for more, maybe more than we are wiling to admit."
It's all there: the grotesque orange tans and bodies muscled beyond recognition -- like those seen at muscle contests on Venice Beach -- but also the reflection on society. A powerful show on all counts. Also at the ACE these days: Robert Graham's drawings and sculptures, Judy Fox's kinky installations, and Lauren Bon's continuing Bees and Meat.
photos of artwork: top/bottom ACE - middle LA Frog
