In the Bedroom | Claudette Schreuders
by Christopher Andrew Armstrong
Claudette Schreuders invites audiences In the Bedroom for a major exhibition at Jack Shainman Gallery on show from May 16th until June 22nd.
Inspired by Herbert M. Cole’s 1989 book Icons: Ideals and Power in the Art of Africa as wells as a 1970s publication titled Love Positions for Married Couples: A Unique Guide to Various Techniques of Sexual Intercourse, Claudette’s sculptures explores the idea of coupledom, and the intimacy and awkwardness which comes naturally with domesticity. The scenes she produces deconstruct the idea of sexual intercourse by separating the sexiness from the act, and leaving the mundaneness which occurs when it transitions into a routine.
Constructed with mostly wood and oil paint, the figures she imagines engage in less imaginative sexual acts, such as the missionary position, with expressionless faces. One striking sculpture, titled “In the Bedroom,” shows a man positioned on top of his female partner, both of them in the nude. The act is devoid of any sexuality due to the bored, detached look the woman carries on her face.
In the Bedroom by Claudette Schreuders can be viewed at the Jack Shainman Gallery in New York City from May 16th to June 22nd. The gallery is located at 513 West 20th Street.