In Critique of Richard Kern’s “New York Girls”- Where is the Art in Exploitation?
By Sasha Lynn Roberts
July 2024
Richard Kern’s first solo show in a decade, in collaboration with NO AGENCY NEW YORK, New York Girls premiered yesterday, July 24th at Management, a contemporary art gallery nestled between Lower East Side shops and tenements. The show and its subsequent photographs are a continuation of his 1995 photobook of the same name, and is a representation of his over 20 year long career in photographing scantily-clad women with random props. As I moved through the gallery space and took glances at polaroids artfully hung on the wall, meant to invoke artistry, mystery, and allure, all I could repeat in my head was one phrase-
“This man is a certified creep.”
We are taught from youth that women’s bodies are art- this is a fact I cannot argue. Women’s bodies are beautiful- breasts crafted from marble, and skin as smooth as silk- some with haunting eyes, others with bright ones; gleefully picking apart the whole world. But Kern’s art does not center around the beauty and taboo nature of sexuality or the female experience. It does not try and tell a story, does not humanize its characters, and certainly doesn’t “underline[s] the absurdity of truth” or play with “our reliance upon taxonomies around sexual representation” as his website arrogantly claims. His work is a series of exploitation- a representation of mediocre, strange and depraved content. Eye-catching and easy to sell to men with deep pockets and dopamine-addicted audiences, little thought or care was put into this solo show, Kern’s career, and I suspect, this genre of photography as a whole.
Kern’s work, to me, seeks to infantilize women and compare them to the object they are slapped next to. For example, in his equally uninspired series, “Pot Smokers”, I struggle to find one complement for the series of nameless women he placed in miscellaneous dressing rooms. It was always the same shot- a loosie hanging out of their mouths, a pill bottle in one hand, caressing their chest with the other. Where is the artistry in this? Where is the artistry in photographing Bella Poarch, an internet star who went viral over (among many things) her depictions of herself as a toddler, in a bathtub filled with plushies and childrens toys? Where is the artistry in photographing women twice- once with a shirt on, and once fully nude, then layering these images on top of each other. If the subjects of any of these works were men- would people be so insistent on calling it art?
The objectification and sexualization of women through Kern’s eyes is palpable- and not to be confused with tongue and cheek commentary on its societal implications. Kern’s work does not make fun of or bring light to the danger- his work itself is dangerous. Nude and semi-nude photography can reduce women to mere objects of visual pleasure, reinforcing harmful stereotypes that value women primarily for their physical appearance rather than their intellect, capabilities, or personality. This genre often sexualizes women, presenting them in ways that cater to male fantasies and perpetuate a narrow, unrealistic standard of beauty and sexuality. Kerns seeks to argue this by calling his series “portraiture”, and claiming it seeks to redefine these women and tell their stories. The one woman mentioned in Management’s press release for the show, Dasha Nekrasova, did have a brief, disturbing paragraph describing her perspective on Kern’s work- describing herself as being 15 years old, and wanting to act like the girls in Kern’s films. She details her experience being a teen, and imagining that she might meet him one day. To me, the tastelessness of this addition is astounding- it is a display of who is truly hurt by Kern’s depictions of women- girls. I am stuck wondering- which of Kern’s films was 15 year old Nekrasova referencing? “Submit to me”- where tied-up, faceless women jerk about a black screen? Or maybe “Fingered”- a smutty 80’s borderline-snuff-film-turned-short-film? When does the degeneracy end and the artistry begin?
Men use women’s bodies and call it art- say that they are capturing the essence of a person- when really, they are engaging in the age-old practice of selling women’s bodies and recontextualizing themselves as some sort of “creator”, when even the act of this “creation” is exploitative in nature. One key issue in Nude and semi-nude portrait photography is the power dynamics and consent involved. There is often a power imbalance between the photographer, who is usually male, and the subject, who is often female. This can lead to pressure or coercion, where the subject may feel obligated to agree to poses or settings they are uncomfortable with. Ensuring true informed consent is crucial but can be challenging, especially if the subject feels societal pressure or a desire to please the photographer or audience.
The repetition and lack of originality in this type of photography is also problematic. The concept of nude or semi-nude female photography has been explored extensively, leading to a constant repetition of this theme. Besides the clear lack of morality, the biggest crime these photos commit are being painfully boring. The prevalence of this genre limits the diversity of artistic expressions and narratives about women, contributing to a stagnant artistic culture that fails to explore women’s experiences in a nuanced and varied manner. It saddens me that when I run into male photographers and videographers- this is typically their main “style” of work. Finding nude, teenage girls to photograph on the New York City streets and calling it “grunge portrait art”. Finding bikini-clad minors to video on the beaches of Miami. Finding topless girls at concert venues, bars, and hotels to throw on a wall and make money off of- their names unknown, stories unheard.
Who is meant to consume this “art”? Kern has a long history of exhibiting films and photography that deliberately go out of their way to lean into strict codes for sexuality that have been overused since the 80’s. And since the 80’s, he has found nothing but a robust career given to him by other lust-filled art-hoes.
My final note: I never want to see a “Girls Girls Girls” polaroid on a museum wall ever again. Lets stop treating this shit like it’s not just bad porn.
Signed,
A New York Girl.
