Maverick artist Gwenn Seemel's "Mutually Beneficial" is a journey into the heart and mind of the contemporary male as he navigates modern dating rituals without the compass of knowing his role in society. Working with acrylics on patch-worked canvas, Seemel's pieces are personal, emotive and as voyeuristic as the Internet itself. Taking the viewer through her process step-by-step, she uses her observations, interviews and the men's postings, along with her emotionally charged paintings as the tools to examine the complex questions surrounding dating, roles and sexuality in this post-feminist techno-age. Seemel, who prefers to show in unconventional and non-gallery locations, answered men seeking women ads on Craigslist in order to find her subjects. Choosing men that showcased their finances as bait for companionship she found five men willing to share their stories and likenesses for this exhibit and one caustic individual whose vacillating flame and apologetic emails expose the darker side of internet dating.
