The Washington Post

At Curator's: Jason Horowitz, the Abdominal Showman

By Jessica Dawson
Friday, April 25, 2008; Page C02

When Jason Horowitz blows up his fleshy photographs to several feet tall, he gives us no choice but to judge the subjects, for most of whom the phrase “Rubenesque” would be a polite term. All five photos are extreme close-ups of different people’s bodies—the outie belly button of Bruce, the four fatty neck rolls of Scott, the penciled-in eyebrows of Gia. With the studio lighting usually reserved for Gisele in a swimsuit catalog, Horowitz makes a halfhearted attempt to change our perceptions of beauty, but he likely knows they aren’t going to budge while Us Weekly is still in print. Instead, he gets us with shock value, especially at seeing the bare, lumpy torso of Michele, whose rolls of fat are the first thing you encounter upon entering the exhibit. What will it take for Americans not to be appalled by the site of a naked body that isn’t tan, trim, and a size zero? Maybe Horowitz is the answer.

Jason Horowitz at Curator's Office, 1515 14th St. NW, Wednesday-Saturday noon-6 p.m., 202-387-1008, to June 21.