Philip-Lorca DiCorcia at Pace/Wildenstein

Last year’s photography shows prominently featured a number of pornography-related projects, most of which were facile, faux intellectual commentary on our skin-soaked culture. Philip-Lorca diCorcia’s latest show consists of a series of near-life sized strippers caught wrapped (and rapt) around their golden poles. Like his earlier street work, the subjects are isolated with flash lighting, frozen in mid swirl as they perform for the viewer. The backgrounds are blown out to black by the flash bulbs and it is difficult to tell if there are any patrons in attendance. They dance only for us and Philip-Lorca.

Whatever sexuality or sensuousness one would expect from pole dancers is completely absent. Instead, the women are hung like pieces of meat for inspection; nearly all but a few are caught upside down. Their makeup is garish and theatrical. Their muscles are taut and toned. Their faces show worry lines. Their bellies are marked by childbirth. Some are covered in tattoos. The overall effect is one of grotesquerie.

What to make of this? Is there an anti-objectification theme? Perhaps, though it also occurs to me that porn is hot in the art world and this is just another exercise in exploitation. More on Modern Kicks.

Through Oct. 8th at Pace/Wildenstein
534 W.25th St.
(212) 929-7000