Tag: art on paper

Jessie Henson at Broadway Gallery

Jessie Henson’s sewn works on paper at Broadway Gallery’s project room are unabashedly beautiful, harnessing the allure of gold to draw viewers in.  Abstract yet evoking natural forms – earth’s strata, a horizon – Henson composes patterns with thread and her industrial sewing machine.  Waves of textured color wash across the surface of each piece, made more dynamic by the literal bending of paper loaded with thread.  Abundant use of 12, 18 and 24K gold – together with areas of day-glo orange, flecks of blue or pink – resist the suggestion of realistic representation, creating a kind of hybrid beauty derived from nature and the man-made. (On view in Tribeca through July 28th).

Jessie Henson, You are Many All on Your Own, II, 12, 18 and 24K gold with polyester and rayon thread on paper, 35.5 x 26.25 x 3 inches, 2023.

Fu Xiaotong at Chambers Fine Art

Without putting pencil or brush to paper, Beijing-based artist Fu Xiaotong created this enigmatic cityscape, seen as if in a fog or snowstorm.  Created entirely by piercing a thick piece of paper with a needle, the scene’s suggestion of nature (even in the built environment) is appropriate, given Fu’s signature subject matter of mountains, water and other organic elements.  (On view at Chambers Fine Art in Chelsea through August 17th).

Fu Xiaotong, detail of 473,000 Pinpricks 473,000, handmade paper, 64 ¾ x 78 ¾ inches, 2017.

John O’Connor at Pierogi Gallery

Every word in Brooklyn artist John O’Connor’s text stories packs a punch. Drawing in colored pencil using myriad fonts, he employs brand logos, emojis and pictograms to tell the tale of a young consumer whose life has taken a turn for the bizarre.   (At Pierogi through Nov 13th).

John O’Connor, detail of Tim (Butterfly), colored pencil and graphite on paper, 70 7/8 x 48 7/16 inches, 2016.
John O’Connor, detail of Tim (Butterfly), colored pencil and graphite on paper, 70 7/8 x 48 7/16 inches, 2016.

Amy Cutler at Leslie Tonkonow Artwork and Projects

If everyone could see inside your head right now, what thoughts would be laid bare? Amy Culter’s incredible cross section shows one woman’s mental map as a series of bizarre dreams, from a scary, hostage-holding snowman to the hilarious notion that our teeth are just the caps worn by a team of ladies nestled shoulder to shoulder in our jaws. (At Leslie Tonkonow Artworks and Projects in Chelsea through June 30th).

Amy Cutler, Molar Migration (detail), gouache on paper, 22 3/8 x 22 7/8 inches, 2012.
Amy Cutler, Molar Migration (detail), gouache on paper, 22 3/8 x 22 7/8 inches, 2012.

Marcel Odenbach at Anton Kern Gallery

For his latest solo show, German video and collage artist Marcel Odenbach produces collaged images of what he calls ‘Green Zones,’ or marginal spaces in which nature and unexplained human activity meet. Seen here in detail, a scarf tied around a tree branch suggests a memorial, composed of clipped and copied press images referring to “…religious delusion, racism and murder…’ explains the gallery. (At Anton Kern Gallery in Chelsea through July 3rd).

Marcel Odenbach, Grunflache 3 (Green Zone 3), ink and collage on paper, 81 x 108 inches (framed), 2014/15.