Mitch Epstein at Sikkema Jenkins & Co.

‘Property Rights,’ Mitch Epstein’s latest photography series focuses on contested land in the U.S., from protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline at Standing Rock to the conflict between immigration activists and self-organized patrols along the southern border.  Though each location is defined by its tensions, Epstein’s photos are marked by their calmness and sensitivity to the experience of everyday people navigating the impact of larger forces on their lives.  (On view at Sikkema Jenkins & Co. in Chelsea through Oct 5th).

Mitch Epstein, Border Wall, Nogales, Arizona 2017, chromogenic print, 25.125 x 33.5 inches, 2017.

Zanele Muholi and Morgan Mahape in ‘African Spirits’ at Yossi Milo Gallery

Zanele Muholi’s ‘Somnyama Ngonyama’ (Hail the Dark Lioness) photo series features the South African activist and artist modeling dramatic outfits that on closer inspection turn out to be composed of everyday household items.  Muholi’s source image for this beaded panel created with fellow South African artist Morgan Mahape involved a headdress crafted from donut-shaped scouring pads, an important detail that’s less apparent here.  Muholi’s softer look and averted gaze are less confrontational than the series’ other powerful images but the piece reads as a tribute to an artist who uses her own body to challenge perceptions and prompt reflection.  (On view in ‘African Spirits’ at Yossi Milo Gallery through August 23rd).

Zanele Muholi and Morgan Mahape, Somnyama Ngonyama, beads on string, wooden panel, approximately 84 x 60 inches, 2019.

Zaria Forman at Winston Wachter Fine Art

Known for large-scale majestic scenes of nature rendered in pastel on paper, Zaria Forman’s stunning new work takes her drawings to a new level.  Invited by NASA to join their regular data-collecting flights over Greenland and the Antarctic, Forman had access to the landscapes that she recreates in huge pastel drawings that demonstrate the beauty and fragility of our planet’s northern climates.  Here, a supraglacial lake is enchantingly beautiful but also a warmer spot that will contribute to this glacier’s faster melt.  (On view in Chelsea at Winston Wachter Fine Art through Dec 21st).

Zaria Forman, Supraglacial Lake (between Hiawatha and Humboldt Glaciers), Greenland, 79 degrees 6’59.05”N 65 degrees 15’54.99”W, July 19, 2017, soft pastel on paper, 60 x 81 7/8 inches, 2018.

JR at Galerie Perrotin

French street artist JR is back in town this summer with a show of photography, sculpture and installation that continues his outspoken advocacy for vulnerable populations. In this aerial overview, we see the eyes of Mayra, an undocumented immigrant who arrived in California as a child.  Used as backdrop for a picnic on both sides of the US/Mexican border, the image counters division with unity.  (On view at Galerie Perrotin on the Lower East side through August 17th).

JR, Migrants, Mayra, Picnic across the border, Quadrichromie, Tecate, Mexico – USA, 4-color print on paper, mounted on cotton canvas, wooden frame, ½ offset printing plate, h 92 1/8 x l. 186 5/8 inches, 2018.

Ai Weiwei at Mary Boone Gallery

A wallpaper of surveillance cameras and the Twitter logo by artist/activist Ai Weiwei at Mary Boone Gallery’s Chelsea space refer to the consequences of his on-line criticism of the Chinese government. On a similar theme, a tree cobbled together from several once-majestic plants suggests disaster and endurance. (On view through Dec 23rd).

Ai Wei Wei, installation view of ‘Roots and Branches’ at Mary Boone Gallery’s 541 West 26th Street location, November 2016.
Ai Wei Wei, installation view of ‘Roots and Branches’ at Mary Boone Gallery’s 541 West 26th Street location, November 2016.