Sterbak’s work has consistently referred to the body, particularly the female body, exploring it as a commodity or as an agent of vanity, but also as an object burdened by its own mortality. The intensity of her work—a dress made of raw flesh, for instance—speaks directly to the viewer’s most basic emotions, evoking fear, pain, and desire.

The exhibition “Works by Jana Sterbak” included three works: Remote Control I, 1989; Seduction Couch, 1986; and Generic Man, 1987-89. Remote Control I is a large, motorized crinoline that the viewer or the wearer can operate via a remote control device. Reflecting the artist’s interest in control and technology, the work renders the wearer helpless, suspending her several inches above the floor. Daily demonstrations of the work and performances featuring a ballerina and two tuxedoed attendants on the night of the opening were highlights of the exhibition.