Tag: painter

Marti Cormand at Josee Bienvenu Gallery

This painting of a sculptural fragment by German modernist artist Emy Roeder, a man puzzling over an abstract sculpture, and a portrait head by German artist Edwin Sharff are all meticulously paintings by Marti Cormand of artworks labeled ‘degenerate’ by the Nazis during WWII. Displaying the images as a series of 5 x 7 inch ‘postcards’ downplays their radicality but emphasizes the fact that their aesthetic has been wholly assimilated into contemporary art. (At Josee Bienvenu Gallery through July 22nd).

Marti Cormand, installation view of ‘Postcards A – Z’ at Josee Bienvenu Gallery, through July 22nd.
Marti Cormand, installation view of ‘Postcards A – Z’ at Josee Bienvenu Gallery, through July 22nd.

Trevor Shimizu at 47 Canal

T Magazine described a sketchy painting of a happy pregnant woman by Trevor Shimizu as having ‘emotional depth’ that ‘transcends that of an emoji.’ Perhaps it’s because Shimizu doesn’t set the bar very high on his draftsmanship or finish that his paintings charm with their earnestness and humor. His latest show was inspired by parenthood, reflecting on sleep deprivation (front) and breastfeeding in public (rear). (At 47 Canal on the Lower East Side through July 30th).

Trevor Shimizu, Sleep Deprived 1, oil on canvas, 58 x 55 inches. In the background right: Breastfeeding in Public (1), oil on canvas, 72 x 66 inches.
Trevor Shimizu, Sleep Deprived 1, oil on canvas, 58 x 55 inches. In the background right: Breastfeeding in Public (1), oil on canvas, 72 x 66 inches.

Katherine Bernhardt in ‘Make Painting Great Again’ at Canada New York

At eight feet high, Katherine Bernhardt’s vibrant, textile-like painting overwhelms with powerful graphics while her subject matter – plantains, cigarettes, basketball and Lisa Simpson – samples pop culture and everyday objects with strong associations. (At Canada New York through July 15th).

Katherine Bernhardt, Two Simpsons, Plantains, Basketballs, Cigarettes, acrylic and spray paint on canvas, 96 x 120 inches, 2016.
Katherine Bernhardt, Two Simpsons, Plantains, Basketballs, Cigarettes, acrylic and spray paint on canvas, 96 x 120 inches, 2016.

Meraud Guinness Guevara in ‘In Good Company’ at Lori Bookstein Fine Art

Though she was allied with the pre-war Parisian avant-garde, Meraud Guinness Guevara favored realism. This 1938 still life foregrounds an intimate arrangement of curving kitchen objects while a more austere selection of white forms stands behind at attention. (In ‘In Good Company’ at Lori Bookstein Fine Art through July 29th).

Meraud Guinness Guevara, Still Life with Kitchen Objects, oil on canvas, 23 ¼ x 28 ¾ inches, 1938.
Meraud Guinness Guevara, Still Life with Kitchen Objects, oil on canvas, 23 ¼ x 28 ¾ inches, 1938.

Sadie Benning at Callicoon Fine Arts

Global art commerce comes to mind in Sadie Benning’s painting of abstracted airplanes bearing mini-paintings on their wings. The planes disappear right off the panel in an apparently never-ending cycle of supply and demand. (At Callicoon Fine Arts on the Lower East Side through July 29th).

Sadie Benning, Airplane Painting, acrylic gouache, casine and wood, 37 ¾ x 97 ¼ inches, 2015.
Sadie Benning, Airplane Painting, acrylic gouache, casine and wood, 37 ¾ x 97 ¼ inches, 2015.