Tag: abstract art

Yinka Shonibare at James Cohan Gallery

Known for sculpture and 2-D work that incorporates textiles originally inspired by Dutch wax printed fabrics, British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare gives new life to his signature material in pieces that resemble flying cloth at James Cohan Gallery.  Shonibare has explained that his new bronzes came from thinking about the wind that filled the sails of ships involved in transatlantic trade and forced migration in past centuries.  Now, the dynamic pieces resemble dancing forms as they elegantly and energetically swirl on their pedestals in the gallery.  (On view in Tribeca through Dec 22nd).

Yinka Shonibare, Abstract Bronze I, bronze sculpture, hand-painted with Dutch wax pattern, 78 ¾ x 57 ¾ x 49 ¾ in, 2023.

Mark Bradford at Hauser & Wirth

The monumental mixed media artwork ‘Manifest Destiny’ dominates the first room of Mark Bradford’s exhibition at Hauser & Wirth Gallery, its tattered surfaces giving it the feeling of a barely surviving relic, its huge scale making it unavoidable.  Emblazoned with a phrase, ‘Johnny Buys Houses,’ that brings to mind road-side signage for fly-by-night real estate operatives and titled after a term that describes relentless European expansion across the North American continent, the piece signals dubious practices with regard to land, property and ownership. (On view in Chelsea through July 28th).

Mark Bradford, Manifest Destiny, mixed media, dimensions variable, ’23.

Peter Coolidge at Peter Blum Gallery

Peter Coolidge’s photos of coal seams in Germany’s industrial Ruhr region glint seductively, appealing to some as abstract compositions formed by nature. Yet not far from the surface is the understanding of coal’s powerful role in pollution and climate change, turning this coalface sinister. (At Peter Blum Gallery on 57th Street through Feb 4th).

Peter Coolidge, Coal Seam, Bergwerk Prosper-Haniel #5, pigment inkjet print, 57 x 50 inches, 2013.
Peter Coolidge, Coal Seam, Bergwerk Prosper-Haniel #5, pigment inkjet print, 57 x 50 inches, 2013.

Ara Peterson at Derek Eller Gallery

Wave patterns appear to literally rise up from the surface of Ara Peterson’s acrylic-on-wood surfaces. Here, a shifting spectrum of hot and cool colors ripples like the surface of water. (At Derek Eller Gallery through Dec 23rd).

Ara Peterson, Untitled, acrylic on wood, 40 x 65 x 2 inches, 2015.
Ara Peterson, Untitled, acrylic on wood, 40 x 65 x 2 inches, 2015.

Ian Davenport at Paul Kasmin Gallery

The colors of Gustav Klimt’s famous portrait of Viennese girl Mada Primavesi (in the Met’s collection) inspired this lush painting by British artist Ian Davenport, seen here in detail. In Klimt’s original, Mada’s slim figure barely stands out against a background of white, lilac and pink color; here, Davenport allows the colors to take over fully. (At Paul Kasmin Gallery through Oct 22nd).

http://www.paulkasmingallery.com/exhibition/ian-davenport--doubletake
http://www.paulkasmingallery.com/exhibition/ian-davenport–doubletake