On Saturday, April 20, from 6 to 8 pm, doris-mae gallery is holding an opening reception for local artists Sean Smith and Dafna Steinberg. doris-mae gallery opened late last year as curatorial project by Thomas Drymon. The gallery is at upstairs at 1716 14th Street NW,

Drymon says about the show: “Questions about gender identity and the masculine and feminine are big, so for the purposes of this latest exhibition at doris-mae, we’ve narrowed the conversation down to the presentation of the ideal and its effects on men and women today.”

Sean Smith’s ‘Million Dollar Cupcake,’ “subverts the masculine by coupling images of sensual frosted cupcakes topped with swirls of buttercream with vintage jockstrap- and speedo-clad bulging crotches. With a backdrop of lurid colors and graphic elements (and bow ties), the paintings confuse our notion of what the masculine archetype is and encourage us to examine how men have been defined since the 70s and before.”

While Dafna Steinberg’s ‘Eat What I Feel,’ “turns her attention to the mid- to late-century representation of the woman as home-maker as seen in cookbooks, diet books and magazines of the era. In this world, expectations of the feminine were set against a crowded background of table scapes and impeccable wardrobes. Steinberg examines the far-reaching effects of this type of presentation on contemporary women, openly examining her own relationship to food and her body.”

There will be an eating performance by Steinberg that will begin shortly after 7 pm in the project space.

Check the doris-mae blog at doris-mae.com for information about upcoming dinners with artist Dafna Steinberg in the space and to read about our ongoing programming and upcoming exhibitions and events.

The Details

• What: Opening reception for Sean Smith’s ‘Million Dollar Cupcake’ and Dafna Steinberg ‘Eat What I Feel.’
• When: Saturday, April 20, 6 to 8 pm.
• Where: 1716 14th Street NW.

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