Cristine Brache Exhibition Explores Dorothy Stratten's Legacy Through Paintings

Artist and poet Cristine Brache is presenting an exhibition titled 'Centerfolds' at Bernheim Gallery in London from February 12 to April 2. The exhibition features paintings that respond to the legacy of Dorothy Stratten, a Playboy model who was murdered in 1980. Brache's work uses oil, ink, and encaustic wax to create ghostly, soft-focus images that render anonymous the once-famous Playboy models, while specifically focusing on Stratten's story. The artist incorporates references to the 1983 film 'Star 80,' directed by Bob Fosse, which depicted Stratten's life, and includes Stratten's poetry in her own 2024 collection 'Goodnight Sweet Thing.' Brache's paintings often employ techniques like sanding to create textured surfaces, and some works are displayed as diptychs comparing original centerfolds with film recreations. The exhibition aims to critique the objectification of women in Hollywood and the pornography industry, and to restore identity to figures like Stratten. The show includes pieces such as 'Dorothy Diptych' and the large-scale 'Centerfold,' which uses layered wax to evoke temporal distance. Brache's broader artistic practice examines themes of memory, celebrity, and violence against women.