# Alexandra Rubinstein > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Alexandra_Rubinstein > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Alexandra_Rubinstein.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandra_Rubinstein > Source revision: 1335473401 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{short description|American contemporary artist}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2018}} {{Multiple issues| {{essay-like|date=November 2018}} {{tone|date=November 2018}} }} '''Alexandra Rubinstein''' is a [contemporary artist](/source/contemporary_artist) based in [Brooklyn](/source/Brooklyn), [New York](/source/New_York_City). She is known for her use of [oil paint](/source/oil_paint)s.{{Cite web|url=http://www.agdir.org/artist/artist.php?id=714&ret=3.|title=Artist Profile|website=agdir.org|access-date=20 November 2018}} Rubinstein's artworks involve [feminist](/source/Feminism) narratives in relation to the [third-wave feminism](/source/third-wave_feminism) movement, and her works have gained attention through her depiction of celebrities including [Drake](/source/Drake_(musician)), [Barack Obama](/source/Barack_Obama), [Pope Francis](/source/Pope_Francis), [Jon Hamm](/source/Jon_Hamm), [Justin Bieber](/source/Justin_Bieber), [Tom Hanks](/source/Tom_Hanks), and [Jay-Z](/source/Jay-Z) performing [oral sex](/source/oral_sex) on women.{{Cite web |last=Olson |first=Grady |date=2018-06-29 |title=Artist Feature: Alexandra Rubinstein |url=https://www.grossmag.com/alexandra-rubinstein/ |access-date=2023-02-09 |website=GRØSS Magazine |language=en-US}} == Early life == Rubinstein was born in 1988 in Sverdlovsk, [USSR](/source/Soviet_Union), now known as [Yekaterinburg](/source/Yekaterinburg), [Russia](/source/Russia). Her mother is Russian, and her father is [Jewish](/source/Jews). The family was given [asylum](/source/Asylum_seeker) after ten years. They immigrated to the [Unite](/source/United_States)Contentious material[d States](/source/United_States) in 1997 and settled in [Pittsburgh](/source/Pittsburgh). Rubinstein showed an interest in art when she was in high school, attending classes at [Carnegie Mellon University](/source/Carnegie_Mellon_University). == Education == Rubinstein earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from [Carnegie Mellon University](/source/Carnegie_Mellon_University) in 2010.{{Cite web |title=Alexandra Rubinstein |url=https://mothergallery.art/rubinstein |access-date=2023-02-09 |website=MOTHER |language=en-US |archive-date=February 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230209013800/https://mothergallery.art/rubinstein |url-status=dead }} After graduating, she moved to New York City to pursue a career in art. == Artistic career == Rubinstein currently works out of a studio in Brooklyn, New York. Rubinstein created a number of oil paintings following the realist tradition which were displayed in small-scale exhibitions across the United States. === Looking for Mr. Goodsex (2013) === This large series of oil paintings created by Rubinstein are images taken from [vintage](/source/vintage_(design)) [pornographic film](/source/pornographic_film)s from the '80s, predominantly those released around the time the pornographic film called "[Deep Throat](/source/Deep_Throat_(film))" was released.{{Cite news|url=https://www.juxtapoz.com/news/painting/paintings-by-alexandra-rubinstein/.|title=Paintings by Alexandra Rubinstein|date=June 17, 2015|work=Juxtapoz Magazine|access-date=20 November 2018|archive-date=November 21, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181121021858/https://www.juxtapoz.com/news/painting/paintings-by-alexandra-rubinstein/|url-status=dead}} The frames were particularly striking as they focused on women's faces during sex, which was historically uncommon. There was a focus in the videos on women. The series of paintings then branched out into stills of men and women [kiss](/source/kiss)ing to show [vulnerability](/source/vulnerability) and the nature of [sexual pleasure](/source/Sexual_stimulation) and [romance](/source/Romance_(love)). === Celebrity Cunnilingus (2014) === This series of [oil painting](/source/oil_painting)s includes a variety of male celebrities during [coitus](/source/Sexual_intercourse) including [Damien Hirst](/source/Damien_Hirst), [Drake](/source/Drake_(musician)), [Pope Francis](/source/Pope_Francis), [Jon Hamm](/source/Jon_Hamm), [Justin Bieber](/source/Justin_Bieber), [Tom Hanks](/source/Tom_Hanks), [Jay-Z](/source/Jay-Z), [Justin Bieber](/source/Justin_Bieber), [Ryan Gosling](/source/Ryan_Gosling), [Leonardo DiCaprio](/source/Leonardo_DiCaprio), [James Franco](/source/James_Franco) and [Barack Obama](/source/Barack_Obama). Within this series, Rubinstein aims to empower women through the portrayal of pleasure from a female point of view. Rubinstein created this series after realizing there was a lack of focus on women in pornography.{{Cite news|url=https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/celebrity-cunnilingus|title=Celebrity Cunnilingus: Drake, Justin Bieber and Leo DiCaprio as you've never seen them before|last=GQ|date=October 31, 2016|access-date=20 November 2018}} Rubinstein also includes herself in most of her works, particularly prominently in this series, to tell her story.{{Cite web |last=McVey |first=Kurt |date=2017-01-11 |title=New York City Artist And Curator Savannah Spirit Unveils Salacious New Exhibit |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtmcvey/2017/01/11/nyc-artist-and-curator-savannah-spirit-wants-to-trigger-your-trump/ |access-date=2024-06-27 |website=Forbes |language=en}} === Thirsty (2015) === This series focused on the nature of heterosexual [female sexuality](/source/Human_female_sexuality) through oil-on-panel images of '70s male [porn stars](/source/Pornographic_film_actor). Rubinstein hoped to rattle the art world by representing women as the consumers of [nude male imagery](/source/Nude_(art)), rather than depicting women as objects being consumed.{{Cite news|url=http://www.papermag.com/thirsty-alexandra-rubinstein-female-sexuality-2061954437.html?slide=mDYtwa.|title=The Art of Thirst: Alexandra Rubinstein and Loud Female Sexuality|last=Felix|first=Annie|date=October 24, 2016|work=PAPER|access-date=20 November 2018|archive-date=November 20, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181120223047/http://www.papermag.com/thirsty-alexandra-rubinstein-female-sexuality-2061954437.html?slide=mDYtwa.|url-status=dead}} The works use a bottle opener to mimic the common decorative use of the [female form](/source/female_form), highlighting the notion that men are made into objects of ‘thirst,’ similar to that which follows a beer.{{Cite news|url=http://www.papermag.com/thirsty-alexandra-rubinstein-female-sexuality-2061954437.html?slide=mDYtwa|title=The Art of Thirst: Alexandra Rubinstein and Loud Female Sexuality|last=Felix|first=Annie|date=October 24, 2016|work=PAPER|access-date=20 November 2018}} The imagery promotes the idea that women are independent and can also have a beer, which is considered to be a male beverage. === Hands off my Cuntry (January 11, 2017) === This exhibition was curated by Savannah Spirit and displayed at the Undercurrent Projects in New York City.{{Cite news|url=http://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/34292/1/the-erotic-art-show-taking-on-donald-trump|title=The erotic art show taking on Donald Trump|last=Sisley|first=Dominique|date=January 12, 2017|work=Dazed|access-date=20 November 2018}} The show was featured in Spirit's ''HOTTER THAN JULY'' series and was displayed a week before [Donald Trump's inauguration](/source/First_inauguration_of_Donald_Trump). The collection focused on [erotic imagery](/source/Erotica) and was designed to poke fun at Trump's [right wing cabinet](/source/Conservatism). 12 different artists contributed art pieces to the [exhibition](/source/exhibition) and 20 percent of the profits from the show went toward [Planned Parenthood](/source/Planned_Parenthood). This exhibition focused on the celebration of female sexuality in a provocative manner. This exhibition gained Rubinstein a lot of publicity, particularly due to the presence of the then well-known painting "''Thanks Obama"'' (2016, oil on panel) used in promotional products such as posters and flyers. The image is a photo-realistic painting of [Barack Obama](/source/Barack_Obama) smiling, ready to perform cunnilingus on a faceless woman. The exhibition received a lot of backlash, especially Rubinstein's painting, because it was deemed "offensive and disrespectful." One of Rubinstein's paintings from the ''Thirsty'' series was also featured in the exhibition. The show's focus on [erotica](/source/erotica) captured people's attention and brought them into the exhibition. Rubinstein's works consist of erotic nature, and the imagery she created brings attention to her personal beliefs. == Style == Rubinstein is inspired by her adolescent trauma that continues to persist. Her work explores the relationships between [gender](/source/gender), power, consumption, and culture. Through combining ordinary images with explicit ones, she creates a narrative that challenges traditional social constructs. Although she rarely depicts women, her work still includes both the [cisgender](/source/cisgender) and heterosexual female gaze of men's bodies depicted as passive and subject to scrutiny. With a focus on male genitalia, Rubinstein's art speaks about traditional masculinity and how it plays a role in intimidation and oppression in contemporary society. Rubinstein's style is [hyper-realistic](/source/Hyperreality) and [contemporary](/source/Contemporary_art) with a particular focus on [female sexuality](/source/Human_female_sexuality).{{citation needed|date=November 2022}} The oil on panel medium helps create the authenticity of human figures in her paintings, and the metaphors in the titles help convey her message.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}} == Reception == Some [art critic](/source/art_critic)s have found Rubinstein's works offensive or revealing due to their overtly sexual content. Some news sources, such as ''[BuzzFeed](/source/BuzzFeed),'' have praised her works for the use of famous celebrities, not for the representation of female empowerment.{{Cite news|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/juliegerstein/an-artist-painted-portraits-of-drake-justin-bieber-and-jon-h|title=An Artist Painted A Bunch of Famous Celeb Men Going Down on Women And It's Really Something|last=Gerstein|first=Julie|date=November 4, 2016|work=BuzzFeed|access-date=20 November 2018}}{{Cite news|url=https://forward.com/schmooze/353182/whats-leonardo-dicaprio-like-in-bed-this-feminist-artist-imagines-answer/|title=What's Leonardo DiCaprio Like in Bed? Feminist Jewish Artist Imagines Answer|last=Glassman|first=Thea|date=November 1, 2016|work=The Forward|access-date=20 November 2018}} {{reflist}} {{authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Rubinstein, Alexandra}} Category:American feminist artists Category:1988 births Category:Living people Category:American activists Category:21st-century American women painters Category:21st-century American painters Category:American contemporary painters --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Alexandra Rubinstein](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandra_Rubinstein) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandra_Rubinstein?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.