Betty Tompkins
(Born) | 1945 in Washington D.C, USA |
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(Based) | New York, NY and Mt. Pleasant, PA, USA |

Way back in the 1960s at the exact same moment that Chuck Close was doing it with the faces, Betty Tompkins was making enormous black-and-white photorealist paintings — not of faces — but graphically pornographic images (…), ripped from straight male porn magazines (yes, kids — people used to masturbate to still black-and-white pics back in the day; not color videos like all of you); beautiful paintings of blow jobs, female fingerings, spread-eagle women doing anything you might imagine. I remember seeing images of this work back then and thinking, Wow! I like these way more than Chuck Close; this is someone really going for it in scale, technique, and holding nothing back about image. Sadly and undeservedly — and probably because it was too scary for a woman to be handling in-your-face imagery and scale like this — Tompkins was dealt out of a little history before storming back in about 15 years ago; she’s one of the strongest artists out there now, always sparing nothing, using contemporary porn (all-shaved, of course, and bigger dicks, not sure why), in a show that is a must-see for the legions of curators who are always beating the bushes to “rediscover” other “older women artists.”
— Jerry Salz in Vulture, 23.09.2015
In 2002 Mitchell Altus Gallery offered Tompkins her first show in NY. Since, her work has later been presented in solo exhibitions at Galerie Rodolphe Janssen, Brussels, Belgium; GAVLAK Palm Beach, Palm Beach, FL USA; P·P·O·W, New York, NY USA; MO.CO Montpellier Contemporain, Montpellier, France. She has participated in notable group exhibitions at Biennale de Lyon, Lyon, France; Oeuvres Contemporaines, Centre Pompidou, Paris, France; Musée des Beaux-Arts, Lyon, France; Kunstmuseum Bern and Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern, Switzerland; ZKM Zentrum für Kunst und Medien, Karlsruhe, Germany; Museu de Arte de São Paulo (MASP), São Paolo, Brazil; Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg, Germany.
Her works are collected by: Allen Art Museum, Oberlin, OH USA, Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY USA; Centre Pompidou, Paris, France; Musée National d’Art Moderne, Paris, France; Fondation d’entreprise Francès, Senlis, France; Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC USA; Islip Art Museum, East Islip, NY USA; Museum of the City of New York, New York, NY USA; Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA USA; Shelly & Donald Rubin Foundation, New York, NY USA; Stamford Museum, Stamford, CT USA; Zimmerli Art Museum, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ USA; 21c Museum Hotels, Louisville, KY USA.
Images
(51)-
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Exhibition) X.A CAPITAL DESIRE (Year) 2023 (Institution) Le Bicolore (Location) Paris , France -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Exhibition) X.A CAPITAL DESIRE (Year) 2023 (Institution) Le Bicolore (Location) Paris , France -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Exhibition) Femme Fatale: Gaze-Power-Gender (Year) 2022 (Institution) Hamburger Kunsthalle (Location) Hamburg, Germany -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Exhibition) Femme Fatale: Gaze-Power-Gender (Year) 2022 (Institution) Hamburger Kunsthalle (Location) Hamburg, Germany -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Exhibition) Women Words (Year) 2021 (Gallery) rodolphe janssen (Location) Brussels, Belgium -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Title) Women Words (Newton #10) (Year) 2019 (medium) Acrylic on book page (Dimensions) 37.2 x 26.4 cm;
14 5/8 x 10 3/8 in (unframed)(Reference) BTom167 -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Exhibition) Women Words (Year) 2021 (Gallery) rodolphe janssen (Location) Brussels, Belgium -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Title) Women Words (Brassaï #9) (Year) 2019 (medium) Acrylic on book page (Dimensions) 29.3 x 24 cm;
11 1/2 x 9 1/2 in (unframed)(Reference) BTom162 -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Exhibition) Women Words (Year) 2021 (Gallery) rodolphe janssen (Location) Brussels, Belgium -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Title) Women Words (Rubens #7) (Year) 2019 (medium) Acrylic on book page (Dimensions) 25.8 x 20.5 cm;
10 1/8 x 8 1/8 in (unframed)(Reference) BTom170 -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Exhibition) Betty Tompkins. Raw Material (Year) 2021 (Institution) MO.CO. (Location) Montpellier, France; photo©Marc Domage -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Exhibition) Betty Tompkins. Raw Material (Year) 2021 (Institution) MO.CO. (Location) Montpellier, France; photo©Marc Domage -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Exhibition) Betty Tompkins. Raw Material (Year) 2021 (Institution) MO.CO. (Location) Montpellier, France; photo: Marc Domage -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Exhibition) Image Power: Institutional Critique Today (Year) 2020 (Institution) Frans Hals Museum (Location) Haarlem, The Netherlands -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Title) Women Words (Cezanne #1) (Year) 2018 (medium) Acrylic on book page (Dimensions) 25.9 x 23.1 cm;
10 1/4 x 9 7/8 in(Reference) BTom152 -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Exhibition) Image Power: Institutional Critique Today (Year) 2020 (Institution) Frans Hals Museum (Location) Haarlem, The Netherlands -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Title) Women Words (Rubens #3) (Year) 2018 (medium) Acrylic on book page (Dimensions) 26 x 20.3 cm;
10 1/4 x 8 in(Reference) BTom156 -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Exhibition) Tainted Love (Year) 2019 (Institution) Villa Arson (Location) Nice, France -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Title) Women Words (Van Dyck #1) (Year) 2017 (medium) Acrylic on book page (Dimensions) 28.4 x 22.4 cm;
11 1/4 x 8 3/4 in(Reference) BTom143 -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Title) Women Words (Weegee #7) (Year) 2017 (medium) Acrylic on book page (Dimensions) 29.2 x 22.9 cm;
11 1/2 x 9 in(Reference) BTom141 -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Year) 2018 (Gallery) rodolphe janssen (Location) Brussels, Belgium -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Title) Cunt grid #24 (Year) 2017 (medium) Pencil and color pencil on paper (Dimensions) 43.2 x 35.6 cm;
17 x 14 in(Reference) BTom129 -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Title) Kiss grid #7 (Year) 2017 (medium) Pencil and color pencil on paper (Dimensions) 43.2 x 35.6 cm;
17 x 14 in(Reference) BTom130 -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Year) 2018 (Gallery) rodolphe janssen (Location) Brussels, Belgium -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Title) Fuck painting #59 (Year) 2017 (medium) Acrylic on canvas (Dimensions) 152.4 x 147.3 cm;
60 x 58 in(Reference) BTom140 -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Year) 2017 (Institution) Kunstraum Innsbruck (Location) Innsbruck, Austria -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Year) 2017 (Institution) Kunstraum Innsbruck (Location) Innsbruck, Austria -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Year) 2017 (Institution) Kunstraum Innsbruck (Location) Innsbruck, Austria -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Exhibition) WOMEN Words Phrases and Stories (Year) 2016 (Institution) The Flag Art Foundation (Location) New York, NY USA -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Exhibition) WOMEN Words Phrases and Stories (Year) 2016 (Institution) The Flag Art Foundation (Location) New York, NY USA -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Exhibition) WOMEN Words Phrases and Stories (Year) 2016 (Institution) The Flag Art Foundation (Location) New York, NY USA -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Exhibition) Black Sheep Feminism (Year) 2016 (Institution) Dallas Contemporary (Location) Dallas, TX USA -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Exhibition) Real Ersatz (Year) 2015 (Institution) FUG (Location) New York, NY USA -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Title) Sex Painting #4 (Year) 2013 (medium) Acrylic on canvas (Dimensions) 213.4 x 152.4 cm (Reference) BTom079 -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Title) 39 x 29 cm 15 3/8 x 11 3/8 in (Year) 2012 (medium) Acrylic on canvas (Dimensions) 40.6 x 40.6 cm;
16 x 16 in -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Exhibition) Fuck Paintings (Year) 2012 (Gallery) rodolphe janssen (Location) Brussels, Belgium -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Exhibition) Fuck Paintings (Year) 2012 (Gallery) rodolphe janssen (Location) Brussels, Belgium -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Exhibition) Fuck Paintings (Year) 2012 (Gallery) rodolphe janssen (Location) Brussels, Belgium -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Title) Masturbation Painting #7 (Year) 2011 (medium) Acrylic on Canvas (Dimensions) 152.4 x 213.4 cm (Reference) BTom025 -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Title) Pussy Painting #10 (Year) 2011 (medium) Acrylic on Canvas (Dimensions) 40.6 x 40.6 cm (Reference) BTom016 -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Title) Girl on Girl Grid #8 (Year) 2011 (medium) Pencil and ink on paper (Dimensions) 43.2 x 35.6 cm (Reference) BTom011 -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Title) Cunt Painting #9 (Year) 2008 (medium) Acrylic on canvas (Dimensions) 55.9 x 91.4 cm (Reference) BTom037 -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Title) Kiss Painting #1 (Year) 2006 (medium) Acrylic on Canvas (Dimensions) 137.2 x 132.1 cm (Reference) BTom005 -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Title) Fuck Grid #12 (Year) 2004 (medium) Pencil on paper (Dimensions) 61 x 50.8 cm;
24 x 20 in(Reference) BTom126 -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Title) Joined Forms/Grid #4 (Year) 1973 (medium) Pencil on paper (Dimensions) 35 x 27 cm (Reference) BTom001 -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Title) Joined Forms/Grid #1 July 26 (Year) 1973 (medium) Pencil on paper (Dimensions) 35.6 x 27.9 cm (Reference) BTom003 -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Title) Joined Forms/Grid #6 (Year) 1973 (medium) Pencil on paper (Dimensions) 48,5 x 40 cm (Reference) BTom002 -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Title) Collage #6 (Year) 1973 (medium) Mixed media on paper (Dimensions) 12.7 x 10.2 cm (Reference) BTom074 -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Title) Fuck drawing #7 (Year) 1972 (medium) Pencil on paper (Dimensions) 35.6 x 27.9 cm (Reference) BTom070 -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Title) Drip/cock (Year) 1971 (medium) Pencil, colored pencil on paper (Dimensions) 35.6 x 27.9 cm (Reference) BTom064 -
(Artist) Betty Tompkins (Title) Mouth/cunt (Year) 1969 (medium) Color pencil on paper (Dimensions) 20.3 x 12.7 x 13.3 cm (Reference) BTom062