In this group exhibition, curated by Artillery's Editor Tulsa Kinney and Publisher Paige Wery, the artwork poses the question "Has the art world become overly obsessed with sex?" The exhibition, themed after the scandalous yet deliciously explicit Japanese film, "In the Realm of the Senses" directed by Nagisa Oshima in 1976, screams the answer.

Upon entering the intimate yet spacious Stephen Cohen Gallery, you're greeted by very subtle photographs of improper happenings. As you take a few more steps, depending on whether you choose to go left or right, the artwork takes a new form. Evolving into something unknown right there, before your very eyes. The images push you, tempting your boundaries and pulling you into a world of seduction and secrecy.

While some of the art is highly graphic, not exactly an exhibition for a family outing, its purpose is not to be offensive. True artists can take you into their worlds through their art, whether that world is somewhere you want to be or not is besides the point. It's not about what you see, it's the experience and what you take from it that makes art truly worthwhile. 

There were a few distinct pieces that caught my attention, the installation from Carrie Yury, an artist whose work I found immensely interesting, was one of them. Yury, with over a decade of exhibitions under her belt, has a knack for capturing the truth in any room. Another installation I found interesting was a short video by Johnny Naked aka Walter Lutz, being projected onto the side wall of the gallery. The video was 80 seconds of the artist experiencing pure bliss, something you just have to see to understand. 

So whether you have a slight fascination for all that is erotic or simply curious, In the Realm of the Lenses is an exhibition you won't want to miss. It will run until February 13, 2010. For more information visit the Stephen Cohen Gallery.