Judith Bernstein's 'Money Shot' Exhibition Critiques Trump Through Feminist Art at Paul Kasmin Gallery

Judith Bernstein's exhibition 'Money Shot' at Paul Kasmin Gallery in New York from January 18 to March 3, 2018, features eight large-scale paintings using phosphorescent pigments under ultraviolet lighting. The works depict Donald Trump's head as a composition of genitalia, with motifs like swastika-patterned caps and references to 'schlongface' or 'Trumpenschlong.' In pieces such as 'Money Shot – Blue Balls' (2017), Trump is shown firing missiles at busts labeled 'Putinschlong' and 'Kim Jong-unschlong,' commenting on masculine power and insecurity. The gallery's floor-to-ceiling windows allow daylight to affect the glow-in-the-dark effects, linking the art to Bernstein's interest in men's toilet graffiti as insights into the male subconscious. Bernstein, a veteran feminist artist, employs agitprop techniques to denounce the Trump administration, with works like 'Money Shot – Green' (2016) reimagining the Capitol as a slot machine spewing dollar signs and swastikas. The exhibition aligns with Second Wave feminist thinkers Andrea Dworkin and Catharine MacKinnon, using pornographic filmmaking references to critique the normalization of sexual violence and oppression of women. The paintings are designed to shock and incite anger rather than engage in reasoned debate, emphasizing a crude expression of sophisticated intellectual traditions. The show was reviewed in the April 2018 issue of ArtReview, highlighting its political commentary and artistic approach.