Sadie Benning's 2016 Exhibitions at Mary Boone Gallery and Callicoon Fine Arts Explore Pilgrimage and Gender Politics

From April 28 to July 29, 2016, Sadie Benning showcased dual exhibitions at Callicoon Fine Arts and Mary Boone Gallery. The displays featured vibrant, large-scale paintings that employed collage techniques with acrylics, resin, and casein, drawing inspiration from 17th-century Pilgrim writings. Significant pieces included Mayflower Now (2015), Coin (2015), and The Crucifixion (2015), which addressed the transgender bathroom-access controversy in North Carolina. Benning, who transitioned from female to male, critiques organized religion and examines gender identity. Additional works comprised Worm God (2015) and Grey God (2015). With a career spanning two decades, Benning began creating video art at MoMA at 19 and participated in the 1993 Venice Biennale. Born in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1973, his artistic practice encompasses video, painting, and multimedia.