Julie Verhoeven: Whiskers Between My Legs – art review

 

It’s Christmas! And that can only mean one thing at the ICA – bitingly confrontational feminist art from the brilliant Julie Verhoeven. Don’t be fooled by the title; Whiskers Between My Legs is at no pains to pussyfoot around the subject of women’s portrayal in the media. The Fox Reading Room, usually reserved for bespectacled perusing, gets a festive overhaul.

 

And what could be more festive than a collage of cartoon phalluses, faux pornographic images and satirical subversions of female domesticity? Who knew oven gloves could be used in such a way. Verhoeven’s installation plunges the viewer into pop-cultural tastelessness and it’s just as fun as it sounds. If some of the political points are obvious, it’s redeemed by an infectious sense of humour.