Tag: california

Victoria Sambunaris at Yancey Richardson Gallery

Two tiny backpackers could almost go unnoticed in the bottom center of this photograph by Victoria Sambunaris, on view at Yancey Richardson Gallery, if Sambunaris had not framed them so carefully on the curving pathway of Death Valley National Park from her vantage point above.  Though dwarfed by natural surrounds, human presence is unmissable in the artist’s new work focusing on the California desert.  Expecting to encounter these landscapes as wastelands, Sambunaris instead witnessed all manner of human activity from camping caravans to dune buggy riding, made all the more attractive during the pandemic, when she traveled to make this body of work. (On view in Chelsea through Feb 18th).

Victoria Sambunaris, Untitled, (Zabriskie Point), Death Valley National Park, California, 2021. Chromogenic print, 39 x 55 inches.

Allison Schulnik at PPOW Gallery

Set off against purple and pink walls at PPOW Gallery, Allison Schulnik’s paintings of night visitors to her property in Sky Valley, California convey the mystery and intrigue of the owls, bobcats and foxes that make the desert their home.  The animation ‘Purple Mountain’ – the title piece for the show, created from 675 gouache on paper paintings – features distant San Jacinto Peak in a blaze of glorious light conditions.  By contrast, this bobcat and other animals appear to have been glimpsed briefly in a flash of light against the dark of night; rendered in Schulnik’s signature impasto style, they convey a sense of immediacy and power through their expressive rendering. (On view through Dec 10th).

Allison Schulnik, Water Plate Bobcat #1, oil on canvas stretched over panel, 48 x 60 in, 2021.

JoAnn Verburg at Pace Gallery

JoAnn Verburg’s recent photos at Pace Gallery of olive groves were taken in California, Israel and Italy, but it’s not always easy to guess which location is which.  Calling the images a ‘contemplative respite’ from the demands of everyday city life, Verburg steps outside of the specifics of place and time to present a meditation on time and beauty in nature.  (On view in Chelsea through Aug 20th).

JoAnn Verburg, BETWEEN, pigment print mounted to Dibond, 57 1/8 x 40 1/8,” 2021.

Alex Gardner at The Hole NYC

With their black skin highlighted blue and featureless faces, Alex Gardner’s characters evade racial identification and offer no way to read their expressions.  In this painting at The Hole NYC, only hands supporting a foot are visible, but the title ‘Cheer Stunt’ brings to mind a group performance full of suspense and excitement.   Backlighting suggests a digital space or perhaps a stadium at night while alternatively, smooth, stylized hands and foot could be part of a new sculptural monument.  (On view on the Lower East Side through Dec 27th. Masks and social distancing required).

Alex Gardner, Cheer Stunt, acrylic on canvas, 36 x 36 inches, 2020.

Mel Frank at Benrubi Gallery

It’s hard to tell if the hand in this photo by Mel Frank is gathering or stroking a marijuana plant; either way, the photo captures the cannabis cultivation guru and author’s affection for the herb.  From extreme closeup photos to sunny landscapes dominated by weed and its farmers, Frank’s exhibition at Benrubi Gallery, ‘When We Were Criminals,’ offers a visual appreciation of a plant whose reputation continues to evolve.  (On view in Chelsea through Nov 10th).

Mel Frank, Afghani1 Landrace, Sonoma County, CA, archival pigment print, 30 x 20 inches, 1979.