Chelsea’s PPOW Gallery now represents Betty Tompkins, the painter whose large format, up-close deceptions of sex acts have recently been having something of a moment. “It’s true,” Tomkins told The Art Newspaper, “I’m 70 years old and I’m finally pulling it together.”
Tompkins has been without New York representation since parting ways with Mitchell Algus in 2011, though she shows with Rodolphe Janssen in Brussels and Gavlak Gallery in California and Florida. PPOW is known for its shows of artists that explore the female body and sexuality, among them Carolee Schneemann, Martha Wilson, Carrie Mae Weems, and Nancy Spero.
“We have been thinking a lot about the female body and how it is being represented, especially with the advent of social media and women’s increasing ability to represent themselves,” PPOW’s co-founder Wendy Olsoff wrote in an email. “We think this has raised a lot of questions about female nudity, slut shaming for example comes to mind, and Tompkins work seems particularly relevant right now in this context.” A solo show is planned for 2017, and the gallery intends to include Tomkins’ work at future art fairs.
