This "Female Form" Exhibition Explores the Nude Through History

Art has long explored the female body, with nude forms taking up much of the art history conversation from the Renaissance to the present day. Palm Springs Art Museum now presents "Female Form: Tom Wesselmann & Mickalene Thomas," from the collection of Jordan Schnitzer's Family Foundation. The exhibit showcases how two artists from different generations present the female body, and unpacks the representations in visual culture.

With many conversations circling 'gaze' and who the viewer is, male, female, commercial, the showcase turns the gaze on history itself. Tom Wesselmann created pop-art images of the female form during the 1960s and 1970s, at a time of evolving attitudes to sexuality and gender. The cultural tensions of the time can be felt through the artist's embrace of the sensual and erotic, celebrating desire while showcasing complex gender representations.

Decades later, Mickalene Thomas came onto the scene. A queer woman of color, Thomas represents the strength and identity behind women like herself, inviting viewers to see them not as objects but as confident beings with agency. Drawing from art history, she uses rhinestones, layered materials and vibrant hues to celebrate this individuality. Thomas reclaims the nude through her compositions.

The exhibition puts both artists in conversation with a broader line of female representation, from the old to the new, with historical references and lesser-known women artists. The showcase invites viewers to question how the stories are told and, in fact, who gets to tell them. This is a space where history, power and desire intersect.

"The Female Form: Tom Wesselmann & Mickalene Thomas" will be on view in Palm Springs from November 22 through April 6, 2026.

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