By Stephanie Nolasco

A couple of weeks remain to catch I-20 Gallery’s provocative yet simply titled group show Men. It includes 10 paintings all made by women, ranging in age from 25 to 90, who use their canvas to portray their candid interpretations of the opposite sex. Men is meant to openly reveal the diverse feelings women have toward the opposite sex and their not-so-modest personalities.

Ellen Altfest, the organizer of the show and most outspoken artist of them all, aims straight for the bone—literally. In “Penis” she illustrates a flaccid penis centered between fleshy thighs and dark pubic hair. The oil on canvas piece is so super realistic with its colors, wrinkles and textures that it effortlessly tricks viewers into believing they’re staring at an actual photograph—without a tinge of shame. Altfest closely concentrates on detail, which proves triumphant in being accurate and tastefully illustrated. Sylvia Sleigh also uses frontal nudity in “Max Warsh Seated Nude” to expose the male body a la David Hockney’s famous male nudes. Again, detail is precise and the usage of oil on canvas depicts an incongruous young, white male lounging on chair, ready for an evening cocktail. The soft, romantic tones are both truthful in showing the human form as well as a feminized domestic space in a masculine context.

If you become jaded while staring at cock for over 20 minutes, perhaps a nipple might do. Catherine Murphy’s “Harry’s Nipple” depicts a gruesome layer of flesh, accentuating a stiff nipple that appears to be pressed against the canvas. From each fading vein to strands of hair, Murphy eroticizes the male body part (often overlooked by women) into its own ripe aspect of male sexuality. Marina Kappos’ “Josh” does exactly what every male artist has always done to the female form: remove the mouth to indicate silence. The portrait of “Josh,” with his jauntily raised eyebrows and clear, pupil-less blue eyes, appears to be in constant tension as he’s compressed into an egg-shaped black womb. Kappos, like her peers, has managed to do what many a latter-day feminist has insisted is necessary: taken that male gaze and turned it around with wicked accuracy.

Through August 18. I-20 Gallery, 557 W. 23rd St. (betw. 10th & 11th Aves.), 212-645-1100.