A fantastic group show, audaciously titled “Sunsets and Pussy”, opened recently at Marianne Boesky Gallery, featuring paintings, collage and mixed media works by young artists and heavyweights alike: Ed Ruscha, Lucien Smith, Betty Tomkins and Piotr Uklański. A beautiful exhibition featuring a select number of fine works, with a title like “Sunsets and Pussy”, it’s sure to cause the prudish crowd’s panties to get all bunched up…. which makes me like it even more!

ED RUSCHA, “PUSSY”, POWDERED GRAPHITE AND PENCIL ON PAPER, 6.75” X 4.75” (1966). (IMAGE COURTESY OF THE ARTIST, GAGOSIAN GALLERY, NEW YORK AND MARIANNE BOESKY GALLERY, NEW YORK. ©ED RUSCHA)

LUCIEN SMITH, “HOW YOU GON’ BE MAD ON VACATION?”, POSTCARD, INK AND PLASTIC IN ALUMINUM FRAME, 13” X 15” (2013). (IMAGE COURTESY OF THE ARTIST, OHWOW, LOS ANGELES AND MARIANNE BOESKY GALLERY, NEW YORK. ©LUCIEN SMITH)

The opening certainly drew out both yea- and naysayers, as illustrated by two interactions I had in my first few moments in the exhibition. First up, I’m standing in front of Ed Ruscha’s painting “Deteriorated Sign” (2009), an excellent smaller work depicting a decrepit version of the iconic Hollywood sign, backlit by a colorful setting sun. A middle age man walks directly up to me, glances at the piece and exclaims, “I don’t see in any pussy in that!” and walks away. I never know what to say when kooks target me to share their random thoughts. The best reply I could come up with was “Uh… well, maybe you’re not looking hard enough!”, although I probably should’ve just rolled my eyes at him.

ED RUSCHA, “DETERIORATED SIGN”, DRY PIGMENT AND ACRYLIC ON MUSEUM BOARD, 13” X 26” (2009). (IMAGE COURTESY OF LOUIS M SCHMIDT. ©ED RUSCHA)

Immediately after that little run-in, I moved clockwise to Betty Tompkins’s “Cunt Landscape” (1969), a small landscape drawing of the classic “road disappearing into the distant horizon” sort, but Tompkins instead offers us a road and mountains which double as a pornographic view up a naked woman’s legs. Contrary to the highly rendered “pussy paintings” (and “fuck” paintings) for which the artist is best known (a few are in the show), this piece is executed in a very simple, charming manner.

BETTY TOMPKINS, “CUNT LANDSCAPE”, COLORED PENCIL ON PAPER, 8.5” X 5.25” (1969). (IMAGE COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND MARIANNE BOESKY GALLERY, NEW YORK. ©BETTY TOMPKINS)

Evocative perhaps of a child’s handiwork (a point exacerbated by the aging, previously wire bound sheet of paper it sits upon, reminiscent of an school notebook) this crude, comical yet sweet drawing was the flyer image for the exhibition. In the few moments I stood before it, an older lady walked up beside me and uttered a “tsk tsk tsk”, accompanied by noticeable head shaking. Clearly, she did not approve. This was later confirmed when, as I was glossing over the show info at the receptionist’s desk, she came up and mumbled (to no one in particular), “I don’t see what sunsets had to with it…”

BETTY TOMPKINS, “CUNT PAINTING #20, ACRYLIC ON CANVAS, 58” X 60” (2013). (IMAGE COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND MARIANNE BOESKY GALLERY, NEW YORK. ©BETTY TOMPKINS)

INSTALLATION VIEW. (IMAGE COURTESY OF LOUIS M SCHMIDT)

This was the reaction I expected to find at the reception. Besides my love for Ed Ruscha, I went to the gallery knowing very little about the exhibition’s concept or the gallery’s agenda. I won’t lie- that title… it caught my attention. Audacity (and hilarity) aside, I was pleasantly surprised by the exhibition. Though whimsical, the show certainly delivers a certain sense of gravitas. The press release informs us that Sunsets and Pussy “brings together two classic themes of summer wonder— so saccharine and ubiquitous we forget their awesome power.” Rather than reinvigorating my sense of awe, however, I walked out Marianne Boesky Gallery reminded of those other of great gifts of summer that often become lost to us in adulthood- humor, play and fun.

PIOTR UKLAŃSKI, “UNTITLED (TBD1)”, PAPER COLLAGE, TORN AND PASTED ON PLYWOOD, 16.25” X 12.75” (2013). (IMAGE COURTESY OF THE ARTIST, GAGOSIAN GALLERY, NEW YORK AND MARIANNE BOESKY GALLERY, NEW YORK. ©PIOTR UKLAŃSKI)

INSTALLATION VIEW. (IMAGE COURTESY OF LOUIS M SCHMIDT)

ED RUSCHA, “SUNSET, HOLLOWAY, SANTA MONICA”, ACRYLIC ON PAPER, 20” X 60 1/8” (2001). (IMAGE COURTESY OF LOUIS M SCHMIDT. ©ED RUSCHA)

PIOTR UKLAŃSKI, “UNTITLED (TBD3)”, PAPER COLLAGE, TORN AND PASTED ON PLYWOOD, 25” X 12.75” (2013). (IMAGE COURTESY OF THE ARTIST, GAGOSIAN GALLERY, NEW YORK AND MARIANNE BOESKY GALLERY, NEW YORK. ©PIOTR UKLAŃSKI)

Between Lucien Smith’s vintage postcard witticisms and Piotr Uklański’s bright pink collages, Ed Ruscha’s unmistakable, cerebral work and Betty Tompkins’s confrontational eroticism, the show will have you either introspective, giggling or titillated all the way through. “Sunsets and Pussy” is open through August 16 at Marianne Boesky Gallery, 509 W 24th St., New York, NY 10011.

For more information visit here.

-Contributed by Louis M. Schmidt