Betty Tompkins. Raw Material

The first solo exhibition in France of American feminist painter, Betty Tompkins, presents over 50 paintings and drawings realised over the last ten years.

Betty Tompkins is known first and foremost for her large-format Fuck Paintings, a series of canvases that she began in 1969, whose representation of penetrative sex was drawn from pornographic photos. The series has gained renown for having been subjected to censorship numerous times.

The artist uses a cold and restrained palette of black, white and grey to paint images taken from pornographic sources in series including the Fuck Paintings, Cunt… and Pussy Paintings. Stylistically close to Photorealism, the cropped and blurred images are created with a spray gun on coloured, pastel background. In other series, the artist superposes snippets and quotations of misogynistic language on to the images.

Even though her paintings, due to their explicit nature, have been rarely exhibited, Betty Tompkins’ work has nevertheless influenced later generations of artists. Since the 1970s, she has never ceased to persistently question the rules of representation of women’s bodies.

The exhibition Betty Tompkins: Raw Material is accompanied by a publication with specially commissioned texts by Nicolas Bourriaud, Alison M. Gingeras and Géraldine Gourbe, as well as a conversation with the artist. Published by Jean Boîte Editions.

Curators :

Vincent Honoré, Head of Exhibitions, Anya Harrison, Curator, Rahmouna Boutayeb, Project Manager, Assisted by Justine Vic, Fanny Hugot-Conte and Emma Ribeyre

The exhibition is organised with the support of P·P·O·W, New York.

Betty Tompkings : Raw Material contains works of a pornographic nature that may offend the sensibilities of visitors. Acces is forbidden to unaccompanied minors.