• Intelligencer
  • The Cut
  • Vulture
  • The Strategist
  • Curbed
  • Grub Street
  • Subscribe to the Magazine Give a Gift Subscription Buy Back Issues Current Issue Contents
    Subscribe to New York Magazine
  • Subscribe
  • Profile
    Sign Out
The Cut
  • Style
  • Self
  • Culture
  • Power
Style
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Parties & Red Carpet
  • Fashion Shows
  • Cathy Horyn
  • The Cut Shop
Self
  • Health & Wellness
  • The State of the Uterus
  • Parenting
  • Advice
  • Sex & Relationships
  • Horoscopes
Culture
  • Books
  • Television
  • Movies
  • Music
  • Celebrity
Power
  • Politics
  • Work
  • Money
  • Rebecca Traister
More
  • Latest Stories
  • Video
  • About Us
  • nymag.com
  • New York Magazine
  • Intelligencer
  • Vulture
  • The Cut
  • The Strategist
  • Grub Street
  • Curbed
first looks
June 13, 2013

Under My Skin: Beautiful New Body-Focused Art [NSFW]

By Julie Ma

Share

  • Share
  • Tweet
Photo: Courtesy of Flowers Gallery

Photographer Mona Kuhn, who’s explored the human body as the subject of her work and research for more than ten years, is taking her turn wearing what she calls “the curator hat” for an exhibition at Flowers Gallery called “Under My Skin — The Nude in Contemporary Photography” opening on June 20. After spending six months culling works from 25 contemporary photographers (including one from herself), Kuhn hopes to start a brainy dialogue about the body that goes beyond the surface level of the skin.

“The body [is] who we are and something that unifies all of us — it’s a little bit of the essence that we can’t get away from,” she told the Cut about conceiving the show. “It’s not so much a show-and-tell of the naked people, but more about the philosophical approach. If we were living in a cave today, how are we sketching ourselves? How are we leaving a mark on future generations?” Her response was to curate works mostly from the last five years that didn’t just deal with nudity for the sake of nudity, but artistically cloaked the human form in metaphors. “People say the body’s so misused these days, and I see that happening, but when the artist uses the medium of the body, it’s almost like you can’t disrobe it.” Click through the slideshow for a first look at the exhibit and to see what she means.

Related

Tastemaker: Mona Kuhn
View
1 / 15 Photos
Polly Borland, Bunny Nose (2009)  Photo: Copyright Polly Borland, Courtesy of Other Criteria
Mariah Robertson, 250 (2009)  Photo: Courtesy of Mariah Robertson and American Contemporary
Mona Kuhn, Mirage (2012)  Photo: Courtesy of Flowers Gallery
Sarah Anne Johnson, Sad Clown (2013)  Photo: Courtesy of Julie Saul Gallery, New York
Collier Schorr, Day Dream (Sky) (2007)  Photo: Courtesy of Collier Schorr
Christophe Kutner, Margaret, Skin Tone Series #3 (2009)  Photo: Courtesy of Christophe Kutner
Bill Sullivan, Self Portrait with Mirror 12:20 (2010)  Photo: Courtesy of Bill Sullivan
Nadav Kander, Isley Standing (2010)  Photo: Courtesy of Flowers Gallery
Malerie Marder, Untitled (2005)  Photo: Courtesy of Malerie Marder and Leslie Tonkonow Art Projects, New York
Bill Sullivan, Self Portrait with Mirror #56 (2010)  Photo: Courtesy of Bill Sullivan
Geir Moseid, Untitled (2012)  Photo: Courtesy of Flowers Gallery
Esther Teichmann, Untitled from Mythologies (2013)  Photo: Courtesy of Esther Teichmann
Maciek Jasik, Melanie (2012)  Photo: Courtesy of Maciek Jasik
Bear Kirkpatrick, The Captain Would Find Himself At Last Alone (2010)  Photo: Courtesy of Bear Kirkpatrick
Shen Wei, Self-Portrait (Toes) (2011)  Photo: Courtesy of Shen Wei
1 / 15

Tags:

  • first looks
  • photography
  • contemporary photography
  • the body
  • mona kuhn
  • photos
  • photo
  • pictures
  • nsfa
  • nsfw
  • More

More Galleries

oscars 2023 Mar. 12, 2023
Oscars Red Carpet 2023: Every Look  Rihanna! Florence Pugh! Michelle Yeoh! They’re all here. 
celebrity Feb. 19, 2023
All the Best Looks From the 2023 BAFTAs Red Carpet  Florence Pugh, Barry Keoghan, and Angela Bassett brought color to the red carpet. 
grammys 2023 Feb. 5, 2023
Every Look From the 2023 Grammys Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Lizzo, Bad Bunny, Adele, Doja Cat, Jack Harlow, Mary J. Blige, Sam Smith, and more.
By Brooke LaMantia
Jan. 10, 2023
All the Looks From the 2023 Golden Globes  Sheryl Lee Ralph, Jenna Ortega, Jessica Chastain, Julia Garner, Jeremy Allen White, Angela Bassett, and more. 
parties! Sept. 23, 2022
Katie Holmes, Chloë Sevigny, and More of the Bestest Party Pics This Week  Chanel, Mejuri, and more celebrate. 
parties! Sept. 16, 2022
Doja Cat, Lil Nas X, and More of the Bestest Party Pics This Week  Fendi, Frame, and Coach all celebrated NYFW. 
emmys 2022 Sept. 12, 2022
Emmys 2022: All the Red Carpet Looks  Updating: What Hollywood is wearing to the 2022 Primetime Emmy Awards. 
By Olivia Luppino
nyfw spring 2023 Sept. 9, 2022
Gigi Hadid, Chlöe Bailey, and More of the Bestest Party Pics of the Week  Saks Fifth Avenue, Longchamp, and more celebrate the beginning of NYFW. 
rip Sept. 9, 2022
The Queen Sure Did Love to Color-Coordinate  Monochrome for decades. 
red carpet Sept. 6, 2022
The Venice Film Festival Is a Major Fashion Event  Valentino and Gucci and Armani, oh my. 
red carpet June 5, 2022
All the Best Looks at the 2022 MTV Movie and TV Awards  Sydney Sweeney, Vanessa Hudgens, Jay Ellis, and more! 
parties! May 20, 2022
The Bestest Party Looks of the Week  Harry Styles > everyone! 
parties! May 13, 2022
The Bestest Party Looks of the Week  Bury me in Dove Cameron’s Saint Sintra skirt. 
parties! May 6, 2022
The Bestest Party Looks of the Week  Cue the Met Gala after-party FOMO. 
met gala 2022 May 2, 2022
Met Gala 2022: All the Looks [Photos]  Billie Eilish, Kim Kardashian, Michelle Yeoh, Hailey Bieber, Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B, Blake Lively, and more. 
parties! Apr. 29, 2022
The Bestest Party Looks of the Week  This one goes to Olivia Rodrigo and her sweater vest. 
parties! Apr. 22, 2022
The Bestest Party Looks of the Week  “Fuck those Zoom tops.” 
celebrity style Apr. 18, 2022
The Best Looks From Coachella 2022  From Harry Styles’s sparkling Gucci set to Megan Thee Stallion’s metallic bodysuit. 
style Apr. 13, 2022
A Look Inside the New Museum’s Spring Gala  Featuring all the best looks. 
grammys 2022 Apr. 3, 2022
Grammy Awards 2022 Red Carpet: All the Looks  Lady Gaga, Olivia Rodrigo, Lenny Kravitz, Lil Nas X, Billie Eilish, and more. 
  • Style
  • Self
  • Culture
  • Power
  • About The Cut
  • About New York Magazine
  • Newsletters
  • Help
  • Contact
  • Press
  • Media Kit
  • We’re Hiring
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Ad Choices
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
  • Accessibility
The Cut is a Vox Media Network. © 2023 Vox Media, LLC. All rights reserved.