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Exhibition 2005

“What’s So Terrible About Being Beautiful?” — Museum of Contemporary Art DC (2005)

Group Show — Museum of Contemporary Art DC, "What's So Terrible About Being Beautiful?" (June)

Group show curated by photographer Peter Photikoe at the Museum of Contemporary Art DC (MOCA DC / A&M Galleries), 1054 31st Street NW, Canal Square, Georgetown, June 3 – July 1, 2005; opening reception June 3, 6–9 pm. Four Washington artists: Photikoe, Matt Sesow, Andrew Wodzianski and Joyce Zipperer. Matt showed five 18 × 24 in. oils on watercolor paper: “babe.,” “hottie.,” “handsome.,” “beautiful.” and “perfect catch.”

Postcard/invitation · 2005-06-03 to 2005-07-01

What's so terrible about being Beautiful? (the art of human allure)

MOCA DC / A&M Galleries

What's so terrible about being Beautiful? (the art of human allure), page 1
What's so terrible about being Beautiful? (the art of human allure)
What's so terrible about being Beautiful? (the art of human allure), page 2
What's so terrible about being Beautiful? — reverse

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Full text

Photographed by Matt Sesow from his press packets, October 18, 2026; text transcribed from the photos by Claude.

[Card front:]
four artists. one question:

matt SESOW
andrew WODZIANSKI
joyce ZIPPERER
peter PHOTIKOE

What's so terrible about being Beautiful?
(the art of human allure)

[Card back:]
june 3 - july 1, 2005
OPENING RECEPTION JUNE 3, 6 - 9 PM
mocadc / a&m galleries
1054 31ST ST., NW
CANAL SQUARE
WASHINGTON, DC
202.342.6230

[Handwritten on album page:] Museum of Contemporary Art Georgetown, DC group show June 2005

Pictures · click to enlarge

“What’s So Terrible About Being Beautiful?” — Museum of Contemporary Art DC (2005), 2005: photograph 1 (Washingtonian, June 2005: “Art Show Questions Modern Notion of Beauty — Four Washington Artists Take Different Approaches to Common Theme at MOCA DC”)
Washingtonian, June 2005: “Art Show Questions Modern Notion of Beauty — Four Washington Artists Take Different Approaches to Common Theme at MOCA DC” · Washingtonian
“What’s So Terrible About Being Beautiful?” — Museum of Contemporary Art DC (2005), 2005: photograph 2 (“babe.” 18 × 24 in., oil on watercolor paper — one of the five paintings in the show)
“babe.” 18 × 24 in., oil on watercolor paper — one of the five paintings in the show · Matt Sesow
“What’s So Terrible About Being Beautiful?” — Museum of Contemporary Art DC (2005), 2005: photograph 3 (“hottie.” 18 × 24 in., oil on watercolor paper — one of the five paintings in the show)
“hottie.” 18 × 24 in., oil on watercolor paper — one of the five paintings in the show · Matt Sesow
“What’s So Terrible About Being Beautiful?” — Museum of Contemporary Art DC (2005), 2005: photograph 4 (“handsome.” 18 × 24 in., oil on watercolor paper — one of the five paintings in the show)
“handsome.” 18 × 24 in., oil on watercolor paper — one of the five paintings in the show · Matt Sesow
Museum of Contemporary Art DC (2005), from Matt Sesow's press archive
From the press page “Museum of Contemporary Art DC” (2005)
Museum of Contemporary Art DC (2005), from Matt Sesow's press archive
From the press page “Museum of Contemporary Art DC” (2005)
Museum of Contemporary Art DC (2005), from Matt Sesow's press archive
From the press page “Museum of Contemporary Art DC” (2005)
Museum of Contemporary Art DC (2005), from Matt Sesow's press archive
From the press page “Museum of Contemporary Art DC” (2005)
Museum of Contemporary Art DC (2005), from Matt Sesow's press archive
From the press page “Museum of Contemporary Art DC” (2005)
Museum of Contemporary Art DC (2005), from Matt Sesow's press archive
From the press page “Museum of Contemporary Art DC” (2005)

In their words

Matt Sesow, a former IBM programmer who lives in Washington, uses a modern painting style to address people’s preconceived notions of beauty.

Mary Clare F. (byline partly legible on the scan), Washingtonian, “Art Show Questions Modern Notion of Beauty,” June 2005

From the press archive

Museum of Contemporary Art DC2005 · June 2005 · "What's So Terrible About

Saved web pages and links

Research notes

Where this record comes from

Cite as: Sesow, Matt. “‘What’s So Terrible About Being Beautiful?’ — Museum of Contemporary Art DC (2005).” Matt Sesow Career Chronicle, 2005. history.sesow.com/e/2005-museum-contemporary-art-dc-what.html. Accessed [date].

Were you there? Do you have a photo, a clipping or a memory of this? Please write to sesow@sesow.com or use Ask Matt a question, and it will be added here.

Also in 2005

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