Inka Essenhigh, Flower King at Miles McEnery

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Chic-looking hybrid people/flowers greet visitors to Inka Essenhigh’s show at Miles McEnery Gallery, part of a painting featuring an outdoor rave attended by fabulous flora.  In other works, leaves cluster together to become figures and tree trunks turn into bell-bottom wearing legs, a charming anthropomorphizing of the natural world.  Associated with Disney as much as Dali, Essenhigh’s fantastical vision taps into a desire to connect with nature while also exploring possible surreal outcomes of that wish.  (On view through June 3rd).

Inka Essenhigh, Flower King, enamel on canvas, 76 x 62 inches, 2022.

Nicole Eisenman at Print Center New York

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Known as a painter, Nicole Eisenman’s forays into sculpture over the past few years have earned her accolades in gallery shows and the 2019 Whitney Biennial; now, her decade-long experimentation with printmaking is the subject of an informative and visually gratifying show at the Print Center New York.  Emphasizing process and creativity, a series of eight prints made during stages of the creation of the 2012 etching ‘Watermark’ illustrate her progress.  Here in the final version, Eisenman brings us into the intimacy of her family home, complete with her mother, father and her two children who read books at center.  We see the scene through Eisenman’s eyes as she eats from a bowl and looks out over a room alive with unspoken thoughts.  (On view through May 13th).

Nicole Eisenman, Watermark, etching and aquatint, ed of 25, printed and published by Harlan & Weaver, New York, 2012.

Tania Perez Cordova at Tina Kim Gallery

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Titled ‘Precipitation,’ Tania Perez Cordova’s new body of work at Tina Kim Gallery manifests a rain shower in the gallery, thin gold-plated chains representing drops of water.  Falling from ceiling to floor through holes pierced in the leaves of artificial plants, the chains form straight lines that contrast the elegant curve of stems and leaves, creating a tension akin to a bow or the strings of a harp.  As visitors advance through the gallery, the number of chains increases to suggest a more intense downpour, inviting viewers to follow their instinct in interpreting and appreciating Perez Cordova’s poetic practice.  (On view in Chelsea through March 25th).

Tania Perez Cordova, Philodendron Stenolobum (70% chance of rain), iron, epoxy clay, plastic, acrylic, gold plated brass chain, patterns of leaf damage, ’22.
Tania Perez Cordova, (detail) Philodendron Stenolobum (70% chance of rain), iron, epoxy clay, plastic, acrylic, gold plated brass chain, patterns of leaf damage, ’22.

 

Claudette Schreuders, Accomplice at Jack Shainman Gallery

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Known for medium-sized, uncannily still wooden figures, South African sculptor Claudette Schreuders explores the notion of doubling with new work at Chelsea’s Jack Shainman Gallery.  In response to the experience of social isolation over the last two years, Schreuders has been picturing the self as constant presence and company.  Titled Accomplice, this piece considers how a lack of communication can lead to polarization and extreme thinking; however, at the same time, the hand gestures were inspired by a tender moment in a 14th century medieval church sculpture of Christ’s mother Mary greeting her relative, Elizabeth.  (On view through April 2nd).

Claudette Schreuders, Accomplice, Jelutong wood, enamel and oil paint, 27 ¾ x 20 x 11 inches, 2021.

Eddie Rodolfo Aparicio in The New Bend at Hauser & Wirth Gallery

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Eddie Rodolfo Aparicio’s ‘Holbein En Crenshaw,’ a rubber cast of a tree on a LA street dominates ‘The New Bend,’ a standout show of textile-related work curated by Legacy Russell at Chelsea’s Hauser & Wirth Gallery.  Layered imagery including a highway exit sign, distorted wheel-like shapes, and advertisements crowd together on one side of this hanging piece, recreating the bombardment of information pedestrians and motorists experience on city streets.  On the other side, the rough texture of the cast tree with its burls and imperfections suggests the difficulties of urban life, even for plants.  Aparicio explains that his intention is to connect beleaguered, non-native trees to the reception of migrant workers in California while also recognizing the rootedness of both in LA life.  (On view through April 2nd.)

Eddie Rodolfo Aparicio, Holbein En Crenshaw (Washington Blvd and Crenshaw Blvd., LA, CA), rubber, sulfur, tree and plant residue, wood glue, latex paint, acrylic paint, strings and found cloth quilt, 138 x 150 x 5 inches, 2018.

Keith Tyson at Hauser & Wirth Gallery

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To say that British artist Keith Tyson’s art practice is expansive is something of an understatement; for decades, his painting and sculpture have aimed to show the connectedness of all things.  Drawing from thousands of paintings created over more than twenty years, grids of images now on view at Hauser & Wirth Gallery in Chelsea suggest links between neural networks, the vastness and changeability of space, mathematical concepts and much more.  Here, meteorites embedded in stainless steel prompted Tyson’s mind-boggling question in a recent catalogue essay: “What were the odds at some point in the distant past, when these chunks of matter were on their particular trajectories through outer space, that they would all end up together here in this piece of work?”  (On view in Chelsea through April 2nd).

Field of Heaven, stainless steel, meteorites, 23 5/8 x 23 5/8 x 23 5/8 inches, 2016.

Sam Gilliam, Beyond the Spectrum at Michael Rosenfeld

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Color Field painter Sam Gilliam’s unstretched canvas from 1970 is a standout in Michael Rosenfeld Gallery’s current exhibition ‘Beyond the Spectrum: Abstraction in African American Art, 1950-1975’ for taking the space of a painting into the space of the gallery. Like a huge paint rag or a giant apron, this piece from 1970 evokes an object with use-value, hung momentarily on the wall. (In Chelsea through March 8th).

Sam Gilliam, One Thunder, acrylic on unstretched canvas, 70 x 23 x 11 inches, 1970.

Allison Schulnik at ZieherSmith

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‘Eager,’ Allison Schulnik’s new stop-motion animation starts with restrained dancing figures and quickly ups the pace as nature itself joins in the dance with flowers bursting forth in bloom and swaying with exuberant fecundity.  (At Chelsea’s ZieherSmith through Feb 22nd.)   

Allison Schulnik, still from ‘Eager,’ clay-animated, stop-motion video, 8 min, 30 sec, ed of 5, 2014.

Lynda Benglis at Cheim and Read Gallery

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Iconic Process artist Lynda Benglis excites the senses with a new selection of ceramic sculptures hand formed from tubes and slabs of clay.  (At Chelsea’s Cheim & Read through Feb 15th).  

Lynda Benglis, Untitled, glazed ceramic, 20 x 16, 12 inches, 2013.

Lara Schnitger, Sister of Arp at Anton Kern Gallery

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Known for fabric sculptures like those pictured here, LA-based artist Lara Schnitger is now allowing fans a more intimate appreciation of her work with a couture line – Sister of Arp.  The clothes will, she says, “play with themes of motherhood, feminism, fashion and sculpture.”  (At Anton Kern Gallery, Chelsea, through Feb 15th.)  

Lara Schnitzer, installation view of ‘Sister of Arp’ couture clothing at Anton Kern Gallery, January 2014.

Liz Glynn at Paula Cooper Gallery

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Liz Glynn’s latest solo show is full of loot.  Before visitors reach this suspended, damaged vessel, they pass Ming porcelain, Julius Caesar’s robes and more, all comically rendered in paper mache and suggesting alternate takes on history.  (At Chelsea’s Paula Cooper Gallery through Feb 8th).  

Liz Glynn, Vessel (Ravaged, Looted and Burned,) hardwood with bronze and steel hardware, rope, 86 x 246 x 73 inches, 2013.

Andrew Moore at Yancey Richardson Gallery

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American photographer Andrew Moore’s latest series, Dirt Meridian, zeros in on the 100th meridian, a longitudinal line that has demarcated the start of the American West.  In his haunting photos, Moore considers the area ‘lost in time,’ yet at the center of global forces including climate change, energy exploration and more.  (At Chelsea’s Yancey Richardson Gallery through Feb 15th).  

Andrew Moore, Homesteaders Tree, Cherry County, Nebraska, archival pigment print, ed 1 of 5, 46 x 58.25 inches, 2013.

Li Hongbo at Klein Sun Gallery

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Beijing-based artist Li Hongbo has applied the concept behind Chinese paper gourd decorations – made of paper glued together – to classical sculpture to shocking effect in his latest sculpture series at Chelsea newcomer Klein Sun Gallery.  What at first appear to be marble sculptures reveal themselves to be flexible stacks of paper when activated by a gallery staff member.  (Through March 2nd).  

Li Hongbo, Bust of Marseilles, paper, 23 5/8 x 14 1/8 x 13 ¾ inches, ed of 2, 2012.

Michael Fullerton at Greene Naftali Gallery

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This portrait of Marillyn A. Hewson, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Lockheed Martin Corporation by Scottish artist Michael Fullerton comes with a wall text briefly summarizing positions she’s held at the company.  Political commentary seems inevitable but apart from a hint in the title of this conventional-looking portrait, ‘The Mistress,’ is up to our interpretation.  (At Greene Naftali Gallery through Feb 8th).  

Michael Fullerton, The Mistress, oil on linen, 2014.

Emilio Perez at Galerie Lelong

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New York based artist and avid surfer Emilio Perez is known for dynamic abstractions resembling landscapes or water.  In his latest solo show at Chelsea’s Galerie Lelong, Perez’s 40 foot long, untitled painting on Masonite carries the eye around the corner on what looks like a long gush of water or fabric.  (Through Feb 1st).  

Emilio Perez, Untitled, stencil painting on masonite, 9 x 40 feet, 2013.

Marc Ganzglass in ‘Work Order, Change Order’ at Mitchell-Innes & Nash

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Brooklyn’s McCarren Park – equally popular among Williamsburg hipsters and brawling youth – has been renovated to the tune of millions in recent years; New York artist Marc Glanzglass’ beautifully austere steel fence titled, ‘McCarren Fence,’ acknowledges the preciousness of the place as well as its divisions.  (At Mitchell Innes & Nash in Chelsea through Feb 1st).  

Marc Ganzglass, McCarren Fence, steel, 2013.

Julie Cockburn at Yossi Milo Gallery

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Has this couple managed a mind-meld between her warm personality and his cool-colored tranquility?  Or do they remain at opposite ends of a spectrum?  Titled ‘The Anniversary,’ this embroidery on a found photograph by British artist Julie Cockburn grants suggestive new lives to forgotten pasts.  (At Yossi Milo Gallery in Chelsea through Jan 25th).  

Julie Cockburn, The Anniversary, hand embroidery on found photograph, unique, 2013.

Duke Riley at Magnan Metz Gallery

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Built from materials reclaimed from shipwrecks off Florida’s Key West, this pigeon coop houses birds trained by New York artist Duke Riley to fly from Havana to Key West bearing cigars in carefully crafted slings.  Grids of painted bird portraits detail the fates of the participants, who were named after filmmakers who had brushes with the law, or historical smugglers.  (At Chelsea’s Magnan Metz Gallery through Jan 11th).  

Duke Riley, installation view of ‘See You At the Finish Line,’ at Magnan Metz Gallery, Dec, 2013.


Sophie von Hellerman at Greene Naftali Gallery

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Idiomatic phrases like ‘jumping through hoops’ or ‘afraid of her own shadow’ inspired London-painter Sophie von Hellerman’s latest solo show at Chelsea’s Greene Naftali Gallery, which includes this huge canvas installation, ‘Throwing Stones in a Glass House.’  In her signature, washy style (pigments are applied directly to unprimed canvas), von Hellerman presents characters who don’t look like they could do much harm with stones resembling mud-clumps, but who conjure unease nonetheless.  (Through Jan 4th).  

Sophie von Hellerman, Throwing Stones in a Glass House, pigment and acrylic emulsion on canvas, 2013.

Sylvia Plimack Mangold in ‘1965 – 1977’ at Alexander and Bonin Gallery

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How could an avant-garde mid-century painter keep up with the trends in abstract minimalism while still making representational work?  This clever 1967 canvas by Sylvia Plimack Mangold has the artist looking down for an answer and finding a ready-made grid of wood – a Minimalist-approved material – that has an inherently physical relationship to the viewer.  (At Alexander and Bonin Gallery through Jan 4th.)

Sylvia Plimack Mangold, Floor 1, acrylic on canvas, 1967.

Brancusi at Paul Kasmin Gallery

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The elegant simplicity of Modernist art icon Constantin Brancusi’s sculptures is on display at Chelsea’s Paul Kasmin Gallery, where the gallery has partnered with the Brancusi Estate to showcase five posthumously created cast bronze sculptures.  Based on a Hungarian artist who modeled for Brancusi several times, this sculpture of Mllm Pogany displays the otherworldly charm of her saucer-like eyes, hands folded against her head and cascades of hair down her back.  (Through Jan 24th.  Check website for holiday season opening hours.)  

Mademoiselle Pogany II, polished bronze, 17 5/8 x 11 3/8 x 11 7/8 inches, 1925-2006.

Arman’s Collection of African Art at Paul Kasmin Gallery

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Most prominent in post-war in France for his ‘accumulations,’ the artist Arman was also an avid collector of art from other cultures.  Paul Kasmin Gallery’s select show of pieces from Arman’s African collection features this mask from the Makonde of Tanzania, a type worn by young men in their initiation ceremonies.  (In Chelsea through Jan 11th.  Check website for holiday season opening hours.)  

Face Mask:  likomba, Makonde, Tanzania, wood, teeth, fiber, 24 x 10 x 9 inches with base.  From the collection of Arman.

Michael Eastman at Barry Friedman Gallery

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Only the birds and Jesus are left at the Better Donut Drive In, in one of American photographer Michael Eastman’s photos of seen-better-days small town America.  Nostalgia, sadness and hope come together in a picture with themes as powerful as its color contrasts.  (At Barry Friedman Gallery through Jan 11th.  Check the gallery’s website or call ahead for holiday season opening hours).  

Michael Eastman, Jesus Donut, digital C-print, 60 x 48 inches, 2008.

Mariano Sardon at Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery

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Mariano Sardon not only gives us portraits, he tells us how we look at them.  The Buenos Aires-based Argentinian artist shows a picture of a face to viewers while a camera records their eye movements.  The information from many viewers is then mapped onto the face, which is drawn before our eyes following the sequences of the gazes.  (At Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery in Chelsea through Dec 21st).  

Mariano Sardon, from the series ‘150 Gazes looking around them,’ digital video, 2012.

Jaume Plensa at Galerie Lelong

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Spanish artist Jaume Plensa experiments with an international aesthetic with a nineteen-part installation of sculptures created from die-cut stainless steel letters from nine alphabets in his latest solo show at Chelsea’s Galerie Lelong.  Faceless humans perched on floating boulders create an immaterial ‘every man.’   (Through Dec 14th.)  

Jaume Plensa, Talking Continents (installation view), stainless steel, 19 components, varying dimensions, 2013.

Gu Wenda at Chambers Fine Art

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New York based Chinese artist Gu Wenda draws on scholarly Chinese painting for these nine and a half feet tall, ink on rice paper on board drawings, each featuring a landscape and calligraphy and relating to his recent project proposal for a landscaped garden rich with symbolism.  (At Chambers Fine Art in Chelsea through Dec 21st).  

Gu Wenda, installation view of ‘Central Park’ at Chambers Fine Art, Nov, 2013.  (In the foreground:  Central Park – Concept #1:  Winter Snow, chinese ink, rice paper mount on wooden board, 2008).

Sarah Morris at Petzel Gallery

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Part of an exhibition by British artist Sarah Morris inspired by Rio de Janeiro, this graphically slick painting evokes the iPhone’s sliding on/off switches, an active game board or abstracted commuters moving rapidly through the city grid, all of which make for an urban landscape painting that evokes a city on the move.  (At Petzel Gallery through Dec 21st).  

Sarah Morris, Hybrid Solar Eclipse (Rio), household gloss paint on canvas, 2013.

Yayoi Kusama at David Zwirner Gallery

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Yayoi Kusama’s star is still shining in New York, where her Whitney Museum show in 2012 attracted throngs, and now an exhibition including two more trademark ‘infinity rooms’ is drawing thousands of visitors a day to Chelsea’s David Zwirner Gallery.  In this room, mirrors, low lights and polka-dotted tentacles coming from floor and ceiling create a hallucinatory effect.  (Through Dec 21st).  

Yayoi Kusama, Love is Calling, wood, metal, glass mirrors, tile, acrylic panel, rubber, blowers, lighting element, speakers, and sound, 2013.

Elaine Reichek at Zach Feuer Gallery

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In this conceptual artwork from 1990, New York artist Elaine Reichek pairs a source photo of a Native American teepee with her own knitted version of it, picturing a marginalized culture with a marginalized craft.  Does the homey feel of knitted objects connect with the feelings conjured by this home?  Reichek’s unassuming objects ask complicated questions.  (At Zach Feuer Gallery through Dec 21st).  

Elaine Reichek, Painted Blackfoot, knitted wool yarn and oil on gelatin silver print, 1990.

Sandra Cinto at Tanya Bonakdar Gallery

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Given its subject matter and size, Brazilian artist Sandra Cinto’s thirteen meter plus pen and acrylic rendering of roiling seas is surprisingly subtle.  As gradations of blue and white fog recede, what look like mountain peaks turn into frosting peak waves in a decidedly elegant storm scene.  (At Chelsea’s Tanya Bonakdar Gallery through Dec 21st.)  

Sandra Cinto, One Day, After the Rain, permanent pen and acrylic on canvas, 2012.

Benjamin Degen at Susan Inglett Gallery

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Though created from paint, this folksy character’s shirt and pants have the texture of rough-hewn fabric, perfectly in keeping with his Johnny-Appleseed-like barefooted nature wanderer persona.  By New York painter Benjamin Degen and titled ‘Kleos,’ it suggests that like the ancient Greeks, this home-grown oddball is also seeking a glory of sorts.  (At Chelsea’s Susan Inglett Gallery through Dec 7th).  

Benjamin Degen, Kleos, oil on canvas over panel, 2013.

Rod Penner at Ameringer McEnery Yohe Gallery

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Rod Penner’s tiny photo realist renderings of desolate scenes from the American rural landscape summon nostalgia and intrigue in equal parts.  (At Ameringer, McEnery, Yohe in Chelsea through Nov 23rd).

Rod Penner, Ranch View Motel/Vaughn, NM, acrylic on canvas, 2013.

Terry Haggerty at Sikkema Jenkins & Co

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British artist Terry Haggerty’s updated Op Art never stops moving when you are in front of it.  The simplest device – twisting and tapering the end of parallel lines – turns this installation in Sikkema Jenkins & Co’s back gallery into a dizzying experience. (In Chelsea through Nov 16th).  

Terry Haggerty, forward/reverse, latex paint on walls, 2013.

Julie Heffernan at PPOW Gallery

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‘Self Portrait as Afterparty’ continues Brooklyn-based painter Julie Heffernan’s ongoing quasi-self-portrait series, here in a post-apocalyptic scenario in which she eschews plates of spaghetti to gather sacks of game.  An abandoned dinner, piles of rocks, some of which have smashed the chairs, and a picture of an exploding volcano suggest that the end of the world has come but this goddess-like survivor can fend for herself.  (At Chelsea’s PPOW Gallery through Nov 16th).  

Julie Heffernan, Self Portrait as After-party, oil on canvas, 2013.

Brad Kahlhamer at Jack Shainman Gallery

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Born in Arizona to Native American parents, raised by his adoptive German-American parents in Wisconsin and based on the Bowery for the past 23 years, Brad Kahlhamer still draws on his varied background in art that blends Native American iconography and a graffiti-like graphic sensibility in this haunting portrait of an apparition-like character.  (At Jack Shainman Gallery’s 24th Street location through Nov 16th).  

Brad Kahlhamer, The Way They Looked The Way They Lived, ink spray paint, acrylic and ballpoint pen on cloth, 2013.

Willie Cole at Alexander and Bonin Gallery

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For his latest New York solo show, New Jersey based artist Willie Cole turns a whimsical arrangement of women’s shoes into a towering, 6 foot tall bronze sculpture recalling a Yoruban deity; a literalized example of power dressing. (At Chelsea’s Alexander and Bonin Gallery through Nov 16th)

Willie Cole, The Sole Sitter, bronze, 2013.

Marepe at Anton Kern Gallery

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Brazilian artist Marepe continues to use everyday materials, simply transformed to achieve big effects.  In his latest solo show at Chelsea’s Anton Kern Gallery, he transforms two bikes into a stationary creature with human head and fish-like tail, a hybrid that suggests literal and figurative possibilities for forward movement.  (Through Dec 14th).  

Marepe, Cabeca Ciclica, bicycles and wood, 2012.

Christoph Ruckhaberle at Zieher Smith Gallery

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Leipzig-based painter Christoph Ruckhaberle’s stylized dance scene against a blue sky and green grass sets up a comparison with Matisse’s 1909 ‘Dance,’ but knowingly offers us subjects whose weightiness and modesty are grounded in the everyday, despite the peppy wallpaper.  (At Chelsea’s Zieher Smith Gallery through Nov 16th).   

Christoph Ruckhaberle, Untitled, acrylic and oil on canvas, 2013.

Carole Seborovski in ‘Out of Their Elements’ at Ricco Maresca Gallery

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Ceramics are increasingly visible in Chelsea galleries this fall, particularly in a show of artists who use clay in innovative ways at Ricco Maresca Gallery.  These sculptures by Carole Seborovski merge natural forms with abundantly decorated surfaces in intriguingly odd combinations.  (Through Nov 16th ).

Carole Seborovski, Summer of Love (foreground), clay, medium/low fire glaze, platinum/gold luster, ceramic decals, and gold leaf, 2011.

Odili Donald Odita at Jack Shainman Gallery

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Explaining that his carefully color-calibrated combinations of shapes are meant to evoke both fragmentation and interconnectedness, Philadelphia-based artist Odili Donald Odita applies his characteristic geometric abstractions directly to the walls creating an optical AND physical impact.  (At Jack Shainman Gallery through Nov 16th).  

Odili Donald Odita, Rain Forest acrylic latex wall paint, dimensions variable, 2013.

Sophie Calle, Absence at Paula Cooper Gallery

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‘Souci’ (worry) was French conceptual artist Sophie Calle’s mother’s last word, uttered several years ago on her deathbed as she told her daughter not to worry about her.  Chelsea’s Paula Cooper Gallery is now showing a selection of Calle’s projects directly or indirectly relating to her mother, including one for which she traveled to the North Pole to bury her mother’s jewelry.  While not as powerful as Calle’s last show, it’s a must-see for fans.  (Through Nov 16th).  

Sophie Calle, installation view of ‘Absence’ at Paula Cooper Gallery, Oct 2013.

Thomas Eggerer at Petzel Gallery

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Titled ‘The Connoisseur,’ this painting by New York based German artist Thomas Eggerer begs the question of what the central figure is so delicately gathering.  Multiple outlines of the man suggest he’s involved in an ongoing process, while a fiery background and dark skies convey a sense of foreboding and urgency.  (At Chelsea’s Petzel Gallery through Nov 9th.)  

Thomas Eggerer, The Connoisseur, acrylic on canvas, 2012.

Arlene Shechet at Sikkema, Jenkins & Co.

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Art critic Blake Gopnik once called New York ceramic artist Arlene Shechet’s abstract sculptures ‘so bizarrely shaped they could be science-fair models of germs.’  The sculptures in the artist’s latest solo show at Chelsea’s Sikkema, Jenkins & Co are just as quirky, conjuring natural and manmade forms and challenging us to puzzle them out.  (Through Nov 16th).  

Arlene Shechet, ‘Not to Mention,’ glazed ceramic, painted plywood base, 2013.

Alison Elizabeth Taylor at James Cohan Gallery

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Brooklyn-based artist Alison Elizabeth Taylor is known for scenes of people in the landscape and decrepit interiors, all meticulously crafted from wood veneer.  In her latest solo show at Chelsea’s James Cohan Gallery, she wields her signature technique and adds paint in service of depicting nature mangled by humans.  (through Nov 30th).  

Alison Elizabeth Taylor, Transparent Eye, wood veneer, shellac and oil on panel, 2013.

Olivio Barbieri at Yancey Richardson Gallery

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Italian artist Olivio Barbieri’s photographs of European mountain ranges are often breath-taking, but he takes something else away in his latest series, namely large sections of the mountain that he substitutes for snow-like areas of white.  Barbieri explains that he’s interested in the hiker’s point of view, including ‘mirages and hallucinations.’  (At Yancey Richardson Gallery’s new 22nd Street location through Nov 2nd).  

Olivio Barbieri, Alps – Geographies and People #11, archival pigment print, 2013.

Richard Serra, Inside Out at Gagosian

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Renowned American sculptor Richard Serra’s exhibitions at Gagosian Gallery’s 21st and 24th Street spaces in Chelsea opened this weekend, immediately proving to be the must-see shows of the moment.  Though the 24th Street installation departs from his previous body of curving steel plates with its angular severity (watch for photos in upcoming days), the 21st Street place offers a single, huge, undulating steel installation that will delight fans of Serra’s more recent spiraling sculptures.

Richard Serra, installation view of ‘Inside Out’ at Gagosian Gallery, Oct 2013.

Akio Takamori in ‘Clay Bodies’ at Barry Friedman, Ltd

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Seattle-based ceramic artist Akio Takamori’s sleeping women rest in round bundles on low pedestals, their eyes open slightly, seemingly observing us while we’re spying on them in their sleep.  Colorful and curvy like Matisse figures, it’s as if drawings have materialized in three dimensions.  (At Chelsea’s Barry Friedman Gallery through Oct 30th.)

Akio Takamori, Sleeping Woman in Red Dress with Orange Hair, stoneware with underglazes, 2013.

Angel Otero at Lehmann Maupin Gallery

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Brooklyn-based artist Angel Otero adds towers of ceramic and steel to a selection of his trademark textured paintings created with oil skins in his latest body of work at Chelsea’s Lehmann Maupin Gallery. Lauded for suggesting ‘secrets unearthed,’ not ruins but ‘ideas to build on, models to live by,’ in a recent piece by The Village Voice’s Christian Viveros-Faune, Otero’s fired steel and glazed porcelain ‘Slot’ sculptures evidence a remarkable drive to alter his materials.  (Through Nov 2nd).   

Angel Otero, installation view, ‘Gates of Horn and Ivory’ at Lehmann Maupin Gallery, Sept, 2013.

Richard Serra at Gagosian Gallery

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Tonight is the public reception for Richard Serra’s most recent New York sculpture show at Gagosian’s 21st and 24th Street spaces in Chelsea.  Glimpses like this one of the installation, which has been ongoing since Sept at least, suggest that the exhibitions will be as impressive as ever.  (Through Jan 25th).

Zhang Huan Paintings at Pace Gallery

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In a radical departure from his monochromatic paintings created by teams of assistants from ash collected from Buddhist temples, Shanghai-based artist Zhang Huan has created a series of oil paintings from his own hand of skulls meant to represent Tibetan Death masks.  Titled ‘Poppy Fields,’ they at first resemble abstract swirls of bright color, which materialize into slightly cartoonish skulls on closer inspection. (At Pace Gallery, 534 West 25th Street, through Oct 26th).  

Zhang Huan, detail from the ‘Poppy Field’ series, oil on linen, 2011.

William Pope. L at Michell-Innes & Nash

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Chicago-based conceptual artist William Pope. L continues to consider how people separate themselves by race; in this wall of drawings, potentially offensive generalizations are neutralized by their opaqueness.  (At Mitchell-Innes & Nash in Chelsea through Oct 26th).  

William Pope. L, detail view of ‘Wall of Skin Set drawings,’ 2010 – 2013.

Sven Lukin at Robert Miller Gallery

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Like graphic design come to life, Sven Lukin’s minimal abstractions involve sensuous, curving lines moving in surprising ways.  Here, an anthropomorphic, flesh colored line pushes into the gallery’s corner like it’s trying to hide, through the title, ‘SNUG,’ suggests it’s happy to do so.   (At Robert Miller Gallery in Chelsea through Oct 26th).

Sven Lukin, SNUG, enamel on Masonite and wood construction, 85 x 75 x 6 inches, 2010.

Edward Burtynsky at Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery

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From the largest pilgrimage towards water in the world (see the Kumbh Mela on left) to the petered out end of the rerouted Colorado River (next right) to the greening of the Arizona desert using pivot irrigation (next right), Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky has spent the last few years documenting the human relationship to water around the world.  In turns alarming and alluring, the photos are a powerful catalyst for safeguarding one of our most precious resources.  (At Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery through Nov 2nd).  

Edward Burtynsky, installation view of ‘Water’ at Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery, Sept 2013.

Heejung Cho at Gallery Ho

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Brooklyn-based Korean sculptor Heejung Cho makes architecture into art with her series of city buildings constructed of wood at Chelsea’s Gallery Ho.  The perspective suggests a city that goes on forever, but the absence of people or other evidence of life give it an eerie emptiness. (At Gallery Ho through Oct 19th).

Heejung Cho, Two Point Perspective, plywood, wood and stain, 2013.

Claudia Wieser at Marianne Boesky Gallery

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Black and white photos of art historical objects, delicately crafted works on paper, minimal sculptures with metallic accents and ubiquitous mirrors lend Berlin-based artist Claudia Wieser’s first solo show at Chelsea’s Marianne Boesky Gallery a feeling of belonging to both a centuries old craft tradition and an elegant modernism.  (At Chelsea’s Marianne Boesky Gallery through Oct 19th).  

Claudia Wieser, installation view of ‘The Mirror,’ a solo exhibition with sculpture made in acrylic and/or ink on wood sculptures placed on digital prints in the foreground, all work 2013.

John McCracken: Works from 1963 – 2011 at David Zwirner Gallery

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Southern Californian minimalist John McCracken’s retrospective exhibition at David Zwirner Gallery is better seen in person – where sleek objects like this one (hand-crafted from plywood covered in polyester resin & fiberglass) reflect the people, objects and light conditions surrounding them.  But the color contrasts alone between the richly green ‘Minnesota’ in the foreground and the sky blue of ‘On Stream’ in this photo set the mind thinking of nature.   (At the gallery’s 20th Street location through Oct 19th.)

John McCracken, Minnesota (in the foreground), polyester resin, fiberglass and plywood, 1989.  On Stream (background left), polyester resin, fiberglass and plywood, 1998.

Kerry James Marshall at Jack Shainman Gallery

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We knew that there was big money in the art world, but Kerry James Marshall makes it explicit with his installation of coins, constructed in brass.  Though the value of the coins adds up to $.99, the piece’s title reveals that fabrication costs were approximately $136,000.  And the selling price?  The gallery “…would prefer to not have that published,” a position that reinforces Marshall’s point that culture and money are entwined, sometimes secretly. (At Chelsea’s Jack Shainman Gallery through Oct 12th).  

Kerry James Marshall, 99 cent piece (One hundred thirty six thousand dollars in change), cast resin with brass overlay, 2012.

Maria Berrio at Praxis International Art

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Using colorfully printed Japanese paper, New York based Colombian artist Maria Berrio creates a collage homage to Gauguin’s ‘Ia Orana Maria,’ but lets nature take over in this imaginary garden bursting with flora and oversized fauna. (At Chelsea’s Praxis International Art through Oct 12th).  

Maria Berrio, El jardin de mi corazon, collage with Japanese paper and watercolor.

Jonas Wood at Anton Kern Gallery

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LA-based artist Jonas Wood builds his paintings from photos, sourcing them in the digital.  At the same time, his memories supply more details as in this painting of his father’s house in Boston in which the bird and flower paintings are depicted as Wood remembered them from childhood rather than how they actually are.  (At Chelesa’s Anton Kern Gallery through Oct 19th).  

Jonas Wood, Yellow Front Hall, oil and acrylic on canvas, 2013.

Susie MacMurray at Danese Corey Gallery

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British artist Susie MacMurray is known for elegant sculptures and installations created by repeated use of one material or form.  At Danese Corey’s new space on 22nd Street in Chelsea, she fashions household gloves into a regal dress, juxtaposing beautiful refinement and hard work (through Oct 12th).  

Susie MacMurray, A Mixture of Frailties, household gloves turned inside out, calico and dress form, 2004/2013.

Anna Booth and Nancy Cohen at Accola Griefen Gallery

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Out of a collaborative residency at Corning Museum of Glass and a joint interest in Buddhist Thangkas, glass artists Anna Booth & Nancy Cohen created ‘Between Seeing and Knowing,’ a wall installation made of glass that evokes the forms of composition of a painting. (At Chelsea’s Accola Griefen Gallery through Oct 12th).  

Anna Boothe & Nancy Cohen, Between Seeing and Knowing, installation view, Sept 2013, Accola Griefen Gallery.

Barbara Takenaga at DC Moore Gallery

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Barbara Takenaga’s latest abstract paintings continue to evoke the natural world in bold colors and mesmerizing patterns; here, a piece titled ‘Funnel’ suggests the strange lights and form of a deep sea creature crossed with a swing carousel at night.  (At Chelsea’s DC Moore Gallery through Oct 5th).  

Barbara Takenaga, Red Funnel, acrylic on linen, 2013.

Sungsic Moon at Doosan Gallery, New York

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Korean artist Sungsic Moon’s skinny characters look unsubstantial, but their range of emotional states – from mournful to ecstatic – is powerful.  Here, a young woman walks the line between having and losing control as her fingers snap, arms pump, and her hair and scream look like she’s entering a primal state. (At Chelsea’s Doosan Gallery through Oct 4th)  

Sungsic Moon, Dancing Girl, acrylic on paper, 2013.

Barry McGee at Cheim & Read Gallery

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These days, San Francisco street art legend Barry McGee is more likely to show his work in galleries and museums than outdoors, but his installation in the back room of Cheim & Read Gallery in Chelsea – a collection of around 400 elements bulging off the wall – pops with a white-cube defying energy.  (Through Oct 26th).  

Barry McGee, Untitled, 400 elements; ink, graphite, acrylic, screenprint, photographs on paper, found objects and frames, 2005-2013.

Julie Becker Sculpture at GreeneNaftali Gallery

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Julie Becker’s mixed media sculpture from 2000 brings a slice of LA into NYC by suggesting a block of West Sunset Blvd complete with weeds, a lost slipper and a drawing advertising a street art competition.  It’s a quirky, anything’s possible kind of city view that’s fast disappearing from Chelsea.  (At Chelsea’s GreeneNaftali Gallery through October 5th.)  

Julie Becker, 1910 West Sunset Blvd, mixed media sculpture, 2000.

Martin Honert’s ‘Gang’ at Matthew Marks Gallery

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Known for meticulously hand-making sculptures inspired by his childhood drawings, German artist Martin Honert’s ‘Gang’ from 2002 accompanies new work at Matthew Marks Gallery in Chelsea.  Do the cheeky boys with the shifty eyes exist just in the bigger boy’s imagination?  Or is that bike really in danger of disappearing?  (At Matthew Marks’ 502 West 22nd Street space through Oct 26th).  

Martin Honert, Bande/Gang, steel, polyester and paint, 2002.

Robert Polidori at Mary Boone Gallery

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In the mid-80s, photographer Robert Polidori started photographing the palace of Versailles, focusing not on its opulence but on the realities presented by over 300 years of wear and tear.  The story is told in the details, as in images like these details of well-used doorways, blown up into gorgeous, light suffused prints.    (At Mary Boone Gallery, Chelsea through Oct 26th).

Robert Polidori, Door Detail, Attique du Midi, Versailles & Door Detail, Galerie Basse, Versailles, c-print, 2005/2013.

Andrew Schoultz at Morgan Lehman Gallery

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San Francisco-based artist Andrew Schoultz alters Morgan Lehman’s white cube gallery by papering the walls with sections replicating building bricks.  It’s the perfect backdrop for pieces that picture natural and man-made disasters, including this acrylic and collage image of a tornado demolishing a red brick building.  (At Chelsea’s Morgan Lehman Gallery through October 12th).  

Andrew Schoultz, Tornado (Up in the Air), acrylic, collage, graphite, and string on wooden panel, 2013.

Allan McCollum & Andrea Zittel at Petzel Gallery

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In the latest iteration of a project started in the early 80s, Allan McCollum has invited Joshua Tree, California based artist Andrea Zittel to collaborate on a show of his ‘plaster surrogates,’ or plaster casts that stand in for paintings.  Here, Zittel sketches out a rough landscape of hills and desert colors in an avant-garde twist on landscape painting.   (At Pezel Gallery in Chelsea through Oct 5th).  

Allan McCollum, installation view of ‘Plaster Surrogates Colored and Organized by Andrea Zittel,’ at Petzel Gallery, Sept 2013.

Michael St. John at Andrea Rosen Gallery II

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Having moved from New York City to Massachusetts, Michael St John titles the paintings in his latest solo show at Andrea Rosen Gallery ‘Country Life.’  The resulting images, which employ collage and trompe l’oeil, are cheeky ruminations on what the differences between city and country life may be. (Through October 5th).  

Michael St.  John, ‘Country Life,’ acrylic, collage/assemblage, polymers, 2013.

Sol LeWitt at Paula Cooper Gallery

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When iconic Minimalist/Conceptualist artist Sol Lewitt moved to Italy in the 70s, his palette veered dramatically toward the colorful, evident here in what the New York Times has called ‘2,448 sq ft of visual sumptuousness.’  The huge installation is one of the approximately 1,200 wall drawings the artist conceived of in his lifetime, and is an arresting blast of color and form.  (at Chelsea’s Paula Cooper Gallery through October 12th.    

Sol LeWitt, installation view of ‘Wall Drawing #564:  Complex forms with color ink washes superimposed,’ (1988) Paula Cooper Gallery, Sept 2013.

Greg Haberny at Lyons Wier Gallery

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Considering the profuse detail of the 2-D collages, floor covering and pencil-studded ceiling of his installation at Chelsea’s Lyons Wier Gallery, it comes as no surprise that Greg Haberny was diagnosed with ADHD as a child.  The frustration of a childhood defined by medicines and misdiagnoses comes through loud and clear.  (Through October 5th).  

Greg Haberny, installation view of ‘Burn all Crayons’ at Lyons Wier Gallery, Sept 2013.

Charline von Heyl at Petzel Gallery

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Is it a serpent?  A leg in fishnet stockings?  A feathered neck?  None of the above?  New York based German artist Charline von Heyl’s latest paintings at Chelsea’s Petzel Gallery come loaded with associations for viewers willing to engage the myriad suggestions.  (Through October 5th)  

Charline von Heyl, Pancalist, acrylic on canvas, 2012.

Leslie Hewitt at Sikkema, Jenkins & Co

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To some, Leslie Hewitt’s conceptual photography will be maddeningly vague, to others, enticingly elusive.  Propped against the wall as if it were an object or sculpture, it displays one book with its spine facing us – James Baldwin’s essays on race, ‘The Fire Next Time.’  This incendiary text rests next to a cooling lemon, an art historical symbol of mortality and moderation.  (At Sikkema Jenkins & Co in Chelsea, through Oct 5th).  

Leslie Hewitt, Untitled (Perception), Still Life Series, digital c-print in custom maple frame, 2013.

Adam Marnie at Derek Eller Gallery

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New York artist Adam Marnie presents a mediated flash-back with his solo show at Chelsea’s Derek Eller Gallery by removing the bottom two feet of drywall from the gallery’s walls, recalling the scene after Hurricane Sandy last October. Nearby interlocking cubes recall 60s minimalist ideas about art being a physical experience; but what happens to interpretation if the physical space of the gallery is altered by disaster?  (Through Oct 5th).  

Adam Marnie, Inward Object I, maple, wood putty spray paint, 2013.

Brian Adam Douglas at Andrew Edlin Gallery

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Brian Adam Douglas’ surreal, Neo Rauch- like images of anonymous characters intently engaged in their individual tasks are intriguing, but are even more amazing for being constructed entirely of paper.  Though his solo show at Chelsea’s Andrew Edlin Gallery was inspired by mankind’s ability to rebuild after natural disasters, here each character experiences a momentous occasion of his or her own.  (Through Oct 26th).  

Brian Adam Douglas, The Memory of You is Never Lost Upon Me, cut paper on birch panel with UVA varnish, 2011.

Phil Collins at Tanya Bonakdar Gallery

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British artist Phil Collins set up a phone booth in a German homeless shelter and offered its guests a deal – in exchange for free local and international calls, they allowed the artist to record their conversations and commission songs from the transcripts.  At Tanya Bonkadar Gallery, visitors are invited to listen to the results in individual sound booths.  (In Chelsea through October 19th).  

Phil Collins, installation view of ‘my heart’s in my hand and my hand is pierced, and my hand’s in the bag, and the bag is shut, and my heart is caught,’ sound installation, 2013.

Matthew Day Jackson at Hauser & Wirth Gallery

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Inspired by BODIES:  The Exhibition, Brooklyn artist Matthew Day Jackson created his own five-vitrine exploration of the human anatomy at Hauser & Wirth Gallery’s 18th Street space.  In the context of the larger show, which includes dramatic landscapes and references to astronauts and Hiroshima, the artist seems to wonder how one frail form could wield great power.  (Through Oct 19th)  

Matthew Day Jackson, installation view of the sculptures: Skeleton, Veins, Nerves, Muscles, Bartholomew, all 2013, Sept 2013.

Jennifer Cohen in ‘Desire’ at Yancey Richardson Gallery

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Jennifer Cohen’s ‘White Line’ is as poised as a ballerina en pointe, but its meaning is given an extra charge by being included in Yancey Richardson Gallery’s  summer group show titled, ‘Desire,’ which showcases work by female artists adopting a female gaze. (In Chelsea through August 23rd).  

Jennifer Cohen, White Line, bronze, copper tubing, plaster and paper pulp, 2013.

Leslie Wayne in ‘Compilation’ at Jack Shainman Gallery

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Working to music (including like Patti Griffin’s ‘One Big Love,’ after which the series was titled) and restricting her painting to shaped surfaces like this draped rag, New York artist Leslie Wayne explains that she was seeking to capture the ‘eureka moment,’ when inspiration takes over and a piece ‘works.’  (At Chelsea’s Jack Shainman Gallery through Aug 17th).  

Leslie Wayne, One Big Love #63 (Paint/Rag #5), oil on panel, 2011.

Anne Chu at Lehmann Maupin Gallery

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Anne Chu lifts her chubby cherub straight out of 18th century Rococo painting, then gives it a makeover.  Decorative splashes of paint and a flag bearing an indistinct face question this putti’s celestial purpose.  (At Chelsea’s Lehmann Maupin Gallery through Aug 16th).  

Anne Chu, Putti with Flag, ceramic, stone, fabric, metal, 2001.

David Jelinek at Andrew Edlin Gallery

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For many artists, being offered an exhibition in a Chelsea gallery would feel like winning the lottery.  For his first show at Andrew Edlin’s Chelsea gallery, New York artist David Jelinek takes the daring step of filling the space not with his own creations but with a symbol of hope aroused and then dashed – a scattering of discarded losing lottery tickets strewn on the gallery floor. (Through Aug 17th).  

David Jelinek, installation view of ‘Money Down,’ at Andrew Edlin Gallery, July 2013.

Hank Willis Thomas at Jack Shainman Gallery

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Viewers have to look at just the right angle down a long, thick piece of Plexiglas to spy Hank Willis Thomas’ minstrel, a photo of a man painted half black and half white, then literally doubled by the material.  Like similar characters photographed by the artist, a seemingly clear cover obstructs a clear view, a metaphor for how perceptions of race can obscure identity.  (At Jack Shainman Gallery’s 24th Street space through Aug 17th).  

Hank Willis Thomas, ‘Invisible Man,’ Plexi block and a digital c-print on aluminum, 2013.

Rosie Lee Tompkins in ‘Roving Signs’ at Matthew Marks Gallery

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Further to yesterday’s post, another standout at Matthew Marks Gallery is this quilt by legendary (and pseudonymous) quilter Rosie Lee Tompkins.  Titled ‘Three Sixes,’ it follows Tompkins’ practice of making her quilts as a prayer for a loved one; in this case commemorating three relatives’ birthdays that involve the number six. (At Matthew Marks Gallery’s 522 W. 22nd St space through Aug 16th).  

Rosie Lee Tompkins, Three Sixes, polyester double-knit, polyester knit, broadcloth, ottoman, poplin, wool jersey with muslin backing, 1987.

Rachel Harrison in ‘Roving Signs’ at Matthew Marks Gallery

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American folk tradition inspired Matthew Marks Gallery’s summer group show ‘Roving Signs,’ which includes this editioned sculpture by Rachel Harrison that conjures apple picking over Apple Macs and can-do crafting over mass consumption.  (At Matthew Marks Gallery’s 522 W. 22nd St space through Aug 16th).  

Rachel Harrison, Apple Multiple, artificial fruit and sewing pins, 2008.

Simon Fujiwara at Andrea Rosen Gallery

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Berlin-based artist Simon Fujiwara created this gender-reversing picture as part of a meandering investigation into a now-lost photo of his globe trotting, show-girl mother in the arms of a stranger on a beach in Beirut.  With very little information to go on, Fujiwara goes on, casting actors to reconstruct the old photo while musing on family history.  (At Chelsea’s Andrea Rosen Gallery through Aug 9th).  

Detail from Simon Fujiwara’s exhibition ‘Studio Pieta (King Kong Komplex),’ at Andrea Rosen Gallery, July 2013.

William Daniels at Luhring Augustine Gallery

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In his latest solo show at Chelsea’s Luhring Augustine Gallery, British artist William Daniels continues to walk the line between abstraction and representation in new paintings for which he constructed, photographed, then painted arches made of aluminum foil.  (Through Aug 16th).  

William Daniels, Untitled, 42 3/8 x 41 ¾ inches, oil on board, 2013.

Carlos Vega in ‘Compilation’ at Jack Shainman Gallery

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On two cold, grey sheets of lead, Spanish-born artist Carlos Vega depicts a tree bearing lively fruit represented by used postage stamps – icons drawn from a diverse array of cultures and times.  (At Jack Shainman’s 20th St location through Aug 17th).  

Carlos Vega, detail of ‘Ivory Tower,’ stamps and oil paint on lead, 2012.

Daniel Heidkamp in ‘Bathers’ at Morgan Lehman Gallery

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Is this vacationer’s vacant stare an expression of total relaxation or haunting anxiety?  Sketchy hands and underdeveloped legs put the focus on this man’s shadowy head and torso in ‘Another Side of Bad Blake,’ a drama wrapped in a portrait by Brooklyn painter Daniel Heidkamp.  (At Chelsea’s Morgan Lehman Gallery through Aug 23rd.)  

Daniel Heidkamp, ‘Another Side of Bad Blake,’ oil on canvas, 2012.

Brian Griffith in ‘Folk Devil’ at David Zwirner Gallery

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British artist Brian Griffith’s teddy bear tent is hands down one of the most fun sculptures on view in Chelsea right now.  You can’t go inside the tent and weenie roasts aren’t allowed, but the piece does suggest a very imaginative band of travelers.  (At David Zwirner Gallery‘s 525 W. 19th Street location through Aug 9th).  

Brian Griffiths, The Body and Ground (Or Your Brittle Smile), canvas, scenic acrylic paint, rope, webbing, fiberglass pole, metal poles, vintage travel souvenir patches, net fabric, tarpaulin, duct tape, tread, string, sand, and fixings, 2010.

Virginia Overton, High Line Art Commission at 20th Street Edison ParkFast

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Brooklyn-based artist Virginia Overton combines the city and country in her untitled project next to Chelsea’s High Line park by parking a pickup truck with a bricked in bed and a scene of flying ducks in the back window on the top of an Edison ParkFast stack.  (Next to the High Line at West 20th Street through Aug 8).  

Virginia Overton, Untitled, pickup truck, bricks, 2012.

Ricky Swallow in ‘Mind is Outer Space,’ at Casey Kaplan Gallery

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Used archery targets, repaired flea market antiques, still life paintings and more inform LA-based artist Ricky Swallow’s practice of putting everyday objects through a series of transformations.  Here, bronze vessels cast from cardboard and applied with what looks like a ceramic glaze conjure lily pads and Aladdin’s lamp.  (At Chelsea’s Casey Kaplan Gallery through Aug 2nd).  

Ricky Swallow, Staggered Vessel with Rings, patinated bronze, 2013.

Piero Golia in ‘Mixed Media Message’ at Barbara Gladstone Gallery

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I saw a dog enthusiastically enjoying this sculpture at Barbara Gladstone Gallery with its owner…that is, until it was scared away when the animatronic creature raised its head in response to a periodic drip coming from an easy-to-miss fake ventilation shaft.  This piece by LA-based artist Piero Golia suggests that even a faux dog’s powers of perception are to be reckoned with.  (At Chelsea’s Barbara Gladstone Gallery, 24th St space, through Aug 2nd).  

Piero Golia, The Dog and the Drip, animatronic dog, solenoids and sync device, 2013.

Simryn Gill in ‘CHICK LIT: Revised Summer Reading’ at Tracy Williams, Ltd.

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Australia-based artist Simryn Gill found a nine-volume set of books by Mahatma Gandhi in a library sale and transformed them into spheres.  But like a book, the sculptures are intended to be held, prompting their audience to consider their subject in a new way. (At Tracy Williams, Ltd. through Aug 9th).  

Simryn Gill, 9 Volumes from The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, paper, glue, 2008.

Mike Nelson in ‘Folk Devil’ at David Zwirner Gallery

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Known for immersive environments including four conjoined Airstream trailers in his last solo show at 303 Gallery, British artist Mike Nelson has explained that his work is ‘ritualistic and votive.’  This minimalist, totemic character suggests the ease with which he transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary.  (At David Zwirner Gallery’s 525 W. 19th Street location through Aug 9th).  

Mike Nelson, Amnezi Skalk Kask, wood, plastic helmet and bones, 2012.

Sam Falls in ‘Noa Noa’ at Metro Pictures Gallery

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Sam Falls has a different take on beauty and the urban environment with his two huge (15 feet long) hangings created by putting abandoned tires on colored canvases and leaving them outside to age for several months. (At Chelsea’s Metro Pictures through Aug 2nd).  

Sam Falls, Untitled (Large Blue, Glassel Park Los Angeles, CA), & Untitled (Large Orange, Glassell Park, Los Angeles, CA), both pre-dyed canvas and metal grommets, 2013.

Francis Cape at Murray Guy Gallery

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Can a room full of benches inspire community-minded thinking? Francis Cape’s hand-crafted replicas of furniture from Shaker and other 19th century separatist communities, presented en masse at Chelsea’s Murray Guy Gallery, are objects whose value is rooted in their usefulness to many people – opposite of art as luxury commodity.  (Through Aug 9th).  

Francis Cape, installation view of Utopian Benches at Murray Guy Gallery, July 2013.

Lucas Samaras in ‘Specific Objects’ at Susan Inglett Gallery

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Lucas Samaras’ pin-encrusted cube is a standout in Susan Inglett Gallery’s ‘Specific Objects’ show, an exhibition inspired by a pivotal 1965 Donald Judd essay that came to define minimalism.  The piece’s shape is its subject matter, but the pins introduce an element of danger that give it a charge.  (In Chelsea through July 26th).  

Lucas Samaras, Untitled, pins on wood, 1964.

Matt Hoyt in ‘Mind is Outer Space’ at Casey Kaplan Gallery

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New York artist Matt Hoyt was a star of the last Whitney Biennial with his tiny, meticulously crafted sculptures that resemble archeological finds or rare natural specimens but which remain a pleasing puzzle.  This assortment (‘group 93’) appears in Casey Kaplan Gallery’s summer group show ‘Mind is Outer Space.’ (In Chelsea through Aug 2nd).  

Matt Hoyt, Untitled (Group 93), two wooden shelves with polyurethane supports containing 11 component objects comprised of all or some of the following:  various putties, plastic, metal, clay, krazy glue, pastel, oil, tempera, acrylic, and spray paint, 2010-2013.

Renzo Piano Building Workshop at Gagosian Gallery

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An exhibition of architect Renzo Piano’s work, including models, photos, diagrams and reference books on Piano’s buildings takes visitors to Chelsea’s Gagosian Gallery on an around the world tour of marvelous homes, museums and in this picture, the Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Center, built on a peninsula in New Caldonia. (through Aug 2nd).

Installation view of Jean-Marie Tjibaou table in ‘Renzo Piano Building Workshop’ at Gagosian Gallery, July 2013.