Danielle Mckinney, ‘Haze’ at the Met Museum

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Is she melancholy or momentarily thoughtful?  It’s hard to think that Danielle Mckinney’s chic lady would be down for long with her vibrant yellow dress and painted nails.  Sleeping, waiting, lounging, or smoking, Mckinney’s solitary, introspective characters look like they’re contemplating the next move.  In this piece titled ‘Haze’ at the Met Museum, Mckinney’s recently hung canvas seems to point to an upcoming waiting period as museum-goers anticipate the museum’s new Tang Wing, scheduled for completion in 2030. (On view at the Met Museum).

A woman in a yellow dress sits on a sofa smoking in a dark room
Danielle Mckinney, Haze, oil on linen, 2024.

Issy Wood, ‘Tour Management Study’ at the Met Museum

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In what feels like a final hurrah before the commencement of the Met Museum’s 4-year construction of the Tang Wing for Modern and Contemporary Art, newly hung contemporary paintings by Matthew Wong, Qiu Xiaofei, Cady Noland and other sought-after contemporary artists have offered an intriguing foretaste of what’s to come.  Here, a large canvas by British artist and musician Issy Wood juxtaposes a watch face, clusters of bells and a car’s leather seat in an enigmatic but evocative suggestion of time, music and movement.  (On view at the Met Museum).

A painting of a row of sleigh bells, a clock face and a leather car seat put three different images in close proximity.
Issy Wood, Tour management study, oil on velvet, 2023.

Key Sekimachi, ‘A Personal Archive’ at Andrew Kreps Gallery

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Delicate-looking yet holding down an entire wall, Kay Sekimachi’s eye-grabbing monofilament sculpture has an ethereal presence that contrasts the smaller yet seemingly weightier woven pieces in her mini-retrospective at Andrew Kreps Gallery.   Select works from the ‘50s to the ‘90s show Sekimachi’s inventive approach to weaving, which the 98-year-old fiber-artist has developed over an almost 80-year career.  Having learned double-weave technique in the ‘50s from German American textile artist Trude Guermonprez, Sekimachi developed the practice to create sculptural works that could be hung to dynamic effect. (On view in Tribeca through Nov 1st).

Kay Sekimachi, Large Green Monofilament (Study for Los Angeles Bonaventure Hotel Commission), green monofilament, 102 x 24 x 15 inches, 1972.

Goshka Macuga at Andrew Kreps Gallery

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London-based Polish artist Goshka Macuga – known for making artwork that relates to the archives and collections of art institutions – had a major New York moment in 2019 when she installed an enormous tapestry in MoMA’s education building picturing herself surrounded by books featuring work in the museum’s collections.  That tableau was in turn a restaging of a photo of Andre Malraux similarly surrounded by his own ‘museum’ of reproductions.  Now on view at Andrew Kreps Gallery in Tribeca, Macuga’s image from the MoMA tapestry manifests as a jacquard woven soft sculpture, positioned on the floor of the gallery’s double-height space.  Titled ‘Fallen Artists/Comfort,’ the work approaches fallenness from various thought-provoking viewpoints by literally looks as if the artist has fallen from the upper gallery space and including a soft book featuring a photo of Nan Goldin’s photos of herself battered and of Nazi-sympathizers and MoMA employees Philip Johnson and Alan Blackburn when they resigned from the museum.  (On view through June 15th).

Goshka Macuga, Fallen Artists / Comfort, jacquard soft sculpture, 127 ½ x 53 ½ inches, 2023.

Willie Stewart at Nicelle Beauchene Gallery

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Warhol’s poppies, Roy Lichtenstein’s 1964 painting ‘Gullscape’ and a urinal recalling Duchamp’s ‘Fountain’ all make an appearance in Willie Stewart’s new 3-D, wall-mounted sculpture now on view at Nicelle Beauchene Gallery, signaling the artist’s intent to make something new from modern art samplings. Set upon a support that resembles a shelf or mantelpiece, Stewart’s Springer Spaniel represents the idea of the loyal family pet; paired with Warhol’s poppies, flowers associated with remembrance, the piece turns nostalgic and wistful.  (On view through Nov 25th).

Willie Stewart, Dog (Springer Spaniel), colored pencil with ink, gouache, and graphite on cotton board, polychrome wood and acrylic on canvas over artist-made panels, 60 h x 69 w x 5.5 d inches, 2023.

Uuriintuya Dagvasambuu, Security 1 at Sapar

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Standing in a circle of flames or wearing a crown of skulls, Buddhist protector deities can manifest in terrifying ways.  Mongolian artist Uuriintuya Dagvasambuu’s guardians, now on view in her solo show at Sapar Contemporary in Tribeca, are more obviously benevolent. Wearing Converse with her armor, this enlightened female figure holds a lotus as a symbol of her state of awareness while gazing forward with confidence.  Perched on an outcrop of land instead of the typical lotus and supported below by the flower of the edelweiss plant, a hardy species found from the Himalayas to Mongolia, Dagvasambuu’s figure engages tradition from a contemporary perspective with humor and respect.  (On view through Oct 10th).

Uuriintuya Dagvasambuu, Security 1, acrylic on canvas, 2023.

Jacob Hashimoto at Miles McEnery Gallery

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At first glance, the entrance to Jacob Hashimoto’s installation at Miles McEnery Gallery appears to be blocked by a super abundance of paper and bamboo disks, his signature material.  No one pauses for a moment though, before climbing the gallery stairs and whipping out a phone to photograph the strings of shapes that form a cloud overhead.  Called ‘kites’ by the artist, the forms are heavier than the airborne toys but resemble them in their paper on frame structure, sense of lightness and potential for movement.  Austere in black and white tones that echo the gallery architecture, the installation is restrained yet exuberant, balanced yet dynamic.  (On view through Oct 21st).

Jacob Hashimoto, installation view of ‘The Disappointment Engine,’ at Miles McEnery Gallery, Sept 2023.

Jeffrey Gibson at Sikkema Jenkins & Co

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From its vibrant, patterned wall mural to the abundance of vivid paintings in saturated color, Jeffrey Gibson’s solo show at Sikkema, Jenkins & Co is one of the most eye-catching exhibitions in Chelsea. Titled ‘Superbloom,’ in reference to an especially bountiful appearance of wildflowers, the show features work in Gibson’s signature formats, including beaded punching bags, which invite admiration not violence, and patterned paintings recalling Native American design and bearing phrases taken from pop songs or various texts.  In this piece on painted elk hide titled and including the text SPIRIT AND MATTER, viewers encounter a central circular form recalling both a meditative diagram and a target.  (On view in Chelsea through Oct 21st).

Jeffrey Gibson, SPIRIT AND MATTER, acrylic paint on elk hide inset in custom wood frame, 2023.

Seth Price, Weeptober at Petzel Gallery

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Seth Price starts many pieces in his show of new work at Petzel Gallery by working with an AI to generate an image, which he prints onto a surface and embellishes with paint, applied by brush or his own body.  He photographs what he’s created, then uses software to add virtual objects to the digital image.  Finally, he prints these later additions back onto the original painting in a back and forth digital/analogue process that foregrounds the collaboration between artist and machine.  The depth in many images is created by metallic, cylindrical shapes that disrupt easy reading of a flat, painted surface and create visual interest in this arrestingly unusual body of work. (On view in Chelsea through June 3rd).

Seth Price, Weeptober, acrylic paint, generatively produced image reverse-transferred into acrylic polymer, and UV-print on aluminum composite, 96 x 76 1/8 x 1 inches, 2022-23.

Carrie Moyer’s ‘Pirate Jenny’ at The Metropolitan Museum of Art

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The Metropolitan Museum of Art is switching up its contemporary galleries regularly these days in an exciting change from past years.  For the last month, this lush, abstract painting by Brooklyn-based painter, writer and activist Carrie Moyer has enticed mezzanine visitors, celebrating Pride Month and offering up pure visual pleasure.  Titled ‘Pirate Jenny,’ the piece refers to a song in Bertoldt Brecht and Kurt Will’s ‘Three Penny Opera’ about a hotel maid who triumphs over her scornful fellow townspeople, sailing away to happiness.

Carrie Moyer, Pirate Jenny, acrylic, glitter, and graphite on canvas, 2012.

Jonathan Baldock, Scuffle at Nicelle Beauchene

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Describing his new stoneware vessels at Nicelle Beauchene Gallery as ‘imperfect reliquaries,’ London-based artist Jonathan Baldock imprints the cylindrical forms with evidence of his own hand and adds cast body parts and funereal herbs.  In additional sewn works, 3-D heads emerge from flat felt and hessian textile backgrounds, staging a miraculous entrance from the picture into real space.  Likewise, the uncanny ceramic forms suggest an unknowable quality to the human body and its manifestations.  (On view in Tribeca through April 2nd).

Jonathan Baldock, Scuffle, stoneware and glaze filled with rosemary, 22 x 14 x 13 inches, 2022.

Peter Alexander at Pace Gallery

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After an over two-decade hiatus from sculpture-making, late west coast Light and Space artist Peter Alexander came back strong, creating cast forms that appear to glow.  Pace Gallery’s current show of these works from ’11 to ’20 features this eighteen-foot-long installation of urethane strips.  Varying in width and color, the parallel pieces create an irregular rhythm that excites the senses.  (On view through March 19th).

Peter Alexander, Heard it Through the Grapevine, urethane, 77 x 18’ 1” overall installed, 2019.

Cornelia Parker at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

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British artist Cornelia Parker merges the all-American image of the red barn with the equally iconic exterior of Norman Bates’ house from Hitchcock’s Psycho in her delightfully eerie Roof Garden commission at the Met. Constructed from an old barn and consisting of only two facades, the home invites comparison to the largely vacant 432 Park Ave that dominates the skyline in the background. (At the Metropolitan Museum of Art through Oct 31st).

Cornelia Parker, installation view of ‘Transitional Object (PsychoBarn)’ at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Roof Garden Commission, through Oct 31st.
Cornelia Parker, installation view of ‘Transitional Object (PsychoBarn)’ at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Roof Garden Commission, through Oct 31st.

Timothy Wehrle at PPOW Gallery

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You won’t find wholesome fantasies of life in the American heartland in Iowan artist Timothy Wehrle’s surreal pencil drawings at Chelsea’s P.P.O.W. Gallery. Under rain clouds, a severed head acts as momento mori, while an upside down shoe studded with nails suggests a painful journey. (Through April 16th).

Timothy Wehle, Head Portrait (shoe), pencil on paper, 10 x 9 inches, 2014.
Timothy Wehle, Head Portrait (shoe), pencil on paper, 10 x 9 inches, 2014.

Mickalene Thomas at Aperture Foundation

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Like Freud, Mickalene Thomas’ couch has made her famous. Normally appearing as a colorful, patchworked backdrop in Thomas’ photos and paintings of lounging African-American beauties (seen on the back wall), it’s a character of its own in this retro living room, transplanted to Chelsea’s Aperture Foundation. (Through March 17th).

Mickalene Thomas, installation view of ‘Muse: Mickalene Thomas Photographs and tete-a-tete’ at Aperture Foundation, Jan 2016.
Mickalene Thomas, installation view of ‘Muse: Mickalene Thomas Photographs and tete-a-tete’ at Aperture Foundation, Jan 2016.

Francis Upritchard and Martino Gamper at Anton Kern Gallery

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Sculptor Francis Upritchard and her designer husband Martino Gamper ask in a collaborative installation of their respective work, just what you’d do if a scrawny spinosaurus were to run across your dining table? Gamper’s playful patterning and richly colored fabrics and Upritchard’s quirky dinosaur cast the scenario in whimsy and pull out a chair for us to join in. (At Anton Kern Gallerythrough Feb 20th).

Francis Upritchard, Paper Spinosaurous, papier-mache, metal armature and modeling, 30 x 101 9/16 x 18 1/8 inches, 2014. Martino Gamper, Black and White Table, linoleum, blockboard, walnut, 107 x ¾ x 39 2/3 inches, 2015. Ice Cream Chairs, steel structure and upholstery, 19 ½ x 15 ¾ x 32 ½ inches, 2015.


Bjorn Braun at Marianne Boesky Gallery

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Berlin-based artist Bjorn Braun’s main artistic collaborators are birds; he’s long intervened in his Zebra finches’ nest-making and, for his latest solo show, has replaced the glass over Marianne Boesky Gallery’s doorway on the Lower East Side with birdseed bricks. Theoretically, outside birds could nibble away at these birdseed blocks until the distinction between the inside and outside of the gallery vanishes. (Through Dec 20th).

Bjorn Braun, Untitled, sunflower seed, oat flakes, wheat,
juniper seed, peanuts, honey and flour, 2015.

Wolfgang Tillmans at David Zwirner Gallery

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Digital technology allows us to picture everything in amazing detail, so how do you choose your subject matter as a professional photographer? Wolfgang Tillmans answers this question by continuing to zero in on the exceptional and mundane, picturing his day-to-day world (portraits of friends, laundry piles) and international travels in prints both tiny and monumental in a characteristic salon-style hanging which seems to evoke the randomness of life. (At David Zwirner Gallery through Oct 24th).

Wolfgang Tillmans, installation view of ‘New York Installation PCR’ at David Zwirner Gallery, September, 2015.

Roman Stanczak at Bureau Gallery

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‘My sculptures speak of life…among spirits,’ says Warsaw-based sculptor Roman Stanczak, whose carefully destroyed bedside table at LES Bureau Gallery suggests a particularly haunted mental state. (Through Oct 25th).

Roman Stanczak, From 2nd to 3rd, wooden cupboard, wood chips, 22.75 x 38 x 39.25 inches, 2015.

Julie Schenkelberg, Swan Song at Asya Geisberg Gallery

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From the heart of the Rust Belt to the heart of Chelsea, scenic designer turned fine artist Julie Schenkelberg has transplanted an installation begun in a disused church basement to Asya Geisberg Gallery. Furniture, dishware, wedding dresses and more combine to create a monument to memory and decay. (In Chelsea through Oct 24th).

Julie Schenkelberg, Swan Song, reclained lath, wood, marble, iron, paper, vintage furniture, dishware, figurines, natural debris, crushed reclaimed metal, light fixtures, vintage wedding dresses, bathtub, wallpaper, plaster, paint, dimensions variable, 2015.

Pinaree Sanpitak at Tyler Rollins Fine Art

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Inspired by ma-lai flower garlands used in Thai ceremonies, Pinaree Sanpitak continues her interest in artwork related to the female body and experience with this installation of fabric that drains the color from the toile ‘flowers,’ leaving pure forms behind. (At Tyler Rollins Fine Art in Chelsea through Oct 24th).

Pinaree Sanpitak, ‘Ma-Lai: mentally secured,’ toile, 15 pieces, dimensions variable, 2014 – 15.

Sara Cwynar in ‘Continuous Surfaces’ at Andrea Rosen Gallery

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Sara Cwynar’s photo of stacked images of Nefertiti comes at a moment when it’s possible to see images of the ancient Egyptian queen at both the Brooklyn Museum and another Chelsea gallery, reinforcing the idea that much of what we’re seeing in daily life is an oft repeated referent to a distant original. The words ‘ERROR: ioerror’ appear scattered throughout suggesting a corrupting effect to so much mediation. (At Chelsea’s Andrea Rosen Gallery through Oct 24th)

Sara Cwynar, 432 Photographs of Nefertiti, collaged UV coated archival pigment prints mounted to Plexiglas and Dibond, 54 x 43 x 7/8 inches, 2015.

Simon Schubert at Foley Gallery

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Edgar Allan Poe’s stern face dominates one very dark wall of graphite drawings by German artist Simon Schubert at the Lower East Side’s Foley Gallery; on the other, a series of white paper ‘drawings’ are folded to create the lines that picture a staircase with a ghostly figure. The sense of a benign, ghostly presence is palpable. (Through Oct 18th).

Simon Schubert, Untitled (Stairs with Figure), 39.5 x 27.5 inches, 2015.

William Villalongo at Susan Inglett Gallery

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‘You Matter,’ reads a sign in the window of William Villalongo’s current solo show at Susan Inglett Gallery, recalling the refrain from recent protests against police aggression. Inside, the Brooklyn-based artist presents the seasons as skeletons cloaked in glittering black female bodies and dominating lush landscapes – characters at peace and one with nature. (In Chelsea through Oct 17th).

William Villalongo, (detail from) Spring, acrylic, paper and velvet flocking on wood panel, 72 x 36 inches, 2015.

Keltie Ferris at Mitchell-Innes and Nash

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Brooklyn-based painter Keltie Ferris is known for abstract paintings that recall the city grid, so you’d think she’d relish LA’s road systems on her recent residency there. Instead, she turns her eye skyward in pieces like ‘oRiOn,’ a canvas that hints at a celestial hunter, outlined in vivid color and decorated in a shower of shooting stars. (At Chelsea’s Mitchell-Innes and Nash through Oct 17th).

Keltie Ferris, oRiOn, acrylic and oil on canvas, 72 x 60 inches, 2015.

Chuck Close Self Portraits at Pace Gallery

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For his latest show at Pace Gallery’s 534 West 25th Street location, Chuck Close continues to replicate mechanical processes by hand in huge self-portraits painted square by square in thin washes of red, blue or yellow paint. (Through Oct 17th).

Chuck Close, Self-Portrait IV, oil on canvas, 96 x 84 inches, 2014-15 (right) and Self-Portrait III, oil on canvas, 101 5/8 x 84 inches, 2014 (to the left).

McArthur Binion at Galerie Lelong

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Using copies of his birth certificate, pages from his address books and these photos, Chicago-based artist McArthur Binion creates a deeply personal abstract modernism. (At Chelsea’s Galerie Lelong through Oct 17th).

McArthur Binion, MAB: 1971: I, oil paint stick and paper on board, 15 x 15 inches, 2015.

Martin Roth at Louis B. James Gallery

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Parakeets without owners occupy the upper reaches of Louis B James Gallery, while rubble shipped in suitcases from the Syrian/Turkish border is strewn on the floor, creating a situation that prompts meditation on freedom and migration by Austrian born, NY-based artist Martin Roth. (On the Lower East Side through Oct 18th).

Martin Roth, installation view of ‘untitled (debris)’ at Louis B. James Gallery, Oct 2015.

Will Ryman at Paul Kasmin Gallery

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Will Ryman has arranged thousands of paint brushes into soft wavy walls and planted huge metal flower sculptures on the Park Avenue malls, so the political subtext beneath his recent sculpture ‘The Situation Room’ at Chelsea’s Paul Kasmin Gallery comes as something of a surprise. Wanting to respond to the famous photos of the Obama administration watching the SEAL raid on Osama Bin Laden’s compound in 2011, Ryman recreated the scene in coal dust covered sculptures that appear suspended in time as if preserved by a fossil fuel-related Pompeiian disaster. (Through Oct 17th).

Will Ryman, The Situation Room, coal, fiberglass, wood, fabric, epoxy, 132 x 163 x 78 inches, 2014.

Teppei Kaneuji at Jane Lombard Gallery

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Originally inspired by a coffee stain on paper, Kyoto-based artist Teppei Kaneuji elaborated on this Dagwood-esque sandwich to the point of amusing absurdity. Here he combines pieces of wood and plastic food in a mix of ‘natural’ and ‘fake’ that conveys the fun of stacking blocks and the specter of excess calorie consumption. (At Jane Lombard Gallery through Oct 17th).

Teppei Kaneuji, Muddy Stream from a Mug (Sandwich), coffee, paper, wood, plastic objects, urethane resin, 19 ½ x 12 x 10 inches, 2015.

Terry Haggerty, Double Back at Sikkema Jenkins

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British artist Terry Haggerty takes his illusion-based painting a step further in his solo show at Chelsea’s Sikkema Jenkins & Co by literally projecting his signature undulating ribbons toward the viewer. The normally wall-hugging panels are painted on aluminum supports and appear as if they can’t quite be tamed. (Through Oct 17th).

Terry Haggerty, Double Back, acrylic on aluminum, 81.125 x 36 x 17.75 inches, 2015.

Clement Siatous at Simon Preston Gallery

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In 1973, the British government handed over the Chagos Islands to the US to use for military operations, claiming that they were uninhabited. Island resident Clement Siatous paints evidence to the contrary in a series of palpably wistful paintings inspired by memories from his childhood. Here, the Nordver removes citizens of Diego Garcia, leaving behind homes, animals and a cultural heritage. (At Simon Preston Gallery on the Lower East Side through Oct 18th. More info at http://newatlantisproject.com/)

Clement Siatous, Dernier Voyage des Chagossiens a bord du Nordvar anrade Diego Garcia, en 1973, acrylic on linen, 26 x 45.75 inches, 2006.

Morgane Tschiember at Tracy Williams, Ltd.

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Paris-based Morgane Tschiember uses Tracy Wiliams’ new Lower East Side space to great effect with this handsome installation of compromised, suspended vessels set off by the huge wall painting ‘Falls.’ (Through Nov 1st).

Morgane Tschiember, installation view of ‘Almost a Kiss’ at Tracy Williams Ltd. on the Lower East Side, Sept 2015.

Samara Golden at Canada

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Enter LA artist Samara Golden’s full-gallery installation at Canada on the Lower East Side, and prepare to be jolted from the everyday – the floor under a catwalk is lined with mirrors and furniture fixed to the wall in a gravity-defying display the invites visitors to let loose from their moorings and play ‘what if.’ (Through Oct 25th).

Samara Golden, installation view of ‘A Fall of Corners’ at Canada Gallery, Sept 2015.

Zheng Lu at Sundaram Tagore Gallery

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Beijing artist Zheng Lu learned the art of calligraphy from his literary family; respect for the written word has extended to his present practice in pieces like this, for which the artist laser cut characters from steel (that originally appeared in historically important texts) fusing them into this elegant, dynamic drip of water. (At Chelsea’s Sundaram Tagore Gallery through Oct 10th.)

Zheng Lu, Water Dripping – Splashing, stainless steel, 181.1 x 131.9 x 114.2 inches, 2014.

Alicia McCarthy at Jack Hanley Gallery

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San Francisco Mission School artist Alicia McCarthy presents signature grids and more at Jack Hanley on the Lower East Side, including this pulsing lattice, marred (or made perfect?) by a blur of grey paint. (Through Oct 11th).

Alicia McCarthy, Untitled, gouache and spray and latex paint on wood panel, 96 x 96 inches, 2015.

‘In Appearance of Order’ at 247365

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Normally, this tiny art gallery exists on-line only as virtual gallery ‘Water McBeer,’ run by artist Henry Gunderson. On the occasion of Gunderson’s solo show in 247365 Gallery’s main space, it has stepped into the realm of the real to show miniature artwork by an impressive roster of artists including Carol Bove’s caterpillar, recognizable from bigger versions on the High Line. (Through Oct 11th).

‘In Appearance of Order,’ including work by Carol Bove, Ajay Kurian, Nathaniel de Large, and Jessie Stead, Sept 2015.

Elias Sime at James Cohan Gallery

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Addis Ababa-based artist Elias Sime carries away electronic components by the truck-full from Africa’s largest open-air market in order to create gorgeous installations like this colorful collage at Chelsea’s James Cohan Gallery. (Through Oct 17th).

Elias Sime, Tightrope 7, reclaimed electronic components and wires on panel, 8 ½ x 39 ¼ feet (estimated), 2009-2014.

Billy Childish, Sunflowers at Lehmann Maupin

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It comes as no surprise that British artist Billy Childish counts Van Gogh as an influence. By putting these sunflowers in a vessel that recalls Gauguin’s ceramics, Childish marries two artists who lived outside of conventional society in an image that pulsates with pattern. (At Lehmann Maupin’s West 22nd Street location through Oct 31st).

Billy Childish, Sunflowers, oil and charcoal on linen, 60.04 x 42.13 inches, 2015.

Kyle Staver at Steven Harvey Fine Art Projects

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A faintly suggested head of blond hair and delicate facial features on Ganymede as he is abducted by Zeus – an eagle with a wizened expression – succinctly tell an ancient tale in Kyle Staver’s graphically simple, wonderfully imagined reworking of the Greek myth. (At Steven Harvey Fine Art Projects on the Lower East Side through Oct 11th).

Kyle Staver, Ganymede, oil on canvas, 68 x 58 inches, 2015.

Bayne Peterson at Kristen Lorello

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Biomorphic abstraction becomes even more a treat for the eyes under the hand of Rhode Island based artist Bayne Peterson as he morphs materials like plywood died in layers and powdered granite into sensuously curvy sculptures at Lower East Side gallery Kristin Lorello. (Through Nov 1st).

Installation view of Bayne Peterson and Nadia Haji Omar at Kristin Lorello. Foreground: Bayne Peterson, Untitled (Greens, Wood and Stone), dyed plywood, dyed epoxy, powdered granite, resin, 10.5 x 6 x 8 inches.

Markus Brunetti at Yossi Milo Gallery

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You don’t necessarily have to visit Europe to marvel at the scale and detail of its cathedrals; German photographer Markus Brunetti brings the experience to New York in a show of stunningly detailed, 10 foot tall prints at Chelsea’s Yossi Milo Gallery. Here, he gives the Ulm Munster his signature treatment – photographing the building in minute detail, then creating a crystal-clear digital collage. (Through Oct 17th).

Markus Brunetti, Ulm, Munster, from the series FACADES, 62 15/16 x 32 5/8 inches OR 118 3/16 x 59 1/16 inches, archival pigment prints, 2007-2014.

Julia Bland at On Stellar Rays

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Titles like ‘Spring Shadow’ or ‘Noon Ashes’ evoke places and moods beyond the everyday in Julia Bland’s show of attractive, fabric-based constructions. Here, ‘Lines from Memory’ suggests a series of portals constructed from an arrangement of dyed textile and lattices. (At On Stellar Rays on the Lower East Side through Oct 25th).

Julia Bland, Lines from Memory, silk, linen, wool, oil paint, and dye, 88 ½ x 83 inches, 2015.

Mark Barrow and Sarah Parke at Elizabeth Dee Gallery

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Painter Mark Barrow and textile designer Sarah Parke collaborate on painted, hand loomed fabrics that are so labor intensive, they’ll blow your mind. Here, the duo dye fabric, then reweave either the warp or the weft into a different material, thread by thread. (At Elizabeth Dee Gallery through October 24th).

Mark Barrow and Sarah Parke, detail of Reweave 7, hand dyed linen, 19 x 17 inches, 2015.

Denise Kupferschmidt at 11 Rivington

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One wall is not enough for Denise Kupferschmidt’s abstracted human figures at Eleven Rivington. On the gallery floor, two feet and a head lie like scattered afterthoughts while solid figures run along the wall as if rendered in an extra bold font. The effect is strong yet comic, drawing us into Kupferschmidt’s imagined population. (On the Lower East Side through Oct 18th).

Installation view of wall mural and sculpture by Denise Kupferschmidt at Eleven Rivington Gallery, Sept 2015.

Tricia Baga at Greene Naftali Gallery

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It’s post-apocalypse in Trisha Baga’s imagination – Florida has mostly sunk into the sea and the array of artifacts left behind, including this Doritos bag and chips, have been rendered in ceramic and put on display. In the video at rear, peacocks pick at a seed portrait of Rosie O’Donnell. Baga’s rich imagination makes an unknown world all the stranger. (At Greene Naftali Gallery in Chelsea through October 3rd).

Trisha Baga, Doritos bag with 4 doritos, glazed ceramic, 2 ¾ x 9 x 6 inches, 2015. Background: Peacock Museum. The Department of Education, video installation, 4 mirrors with fava beans, 18 min, 44 sec, each 23 ½ x 19 1/8 inches, 2015.

Ron Nagle at Matthew Marks Gallery

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Like inedible confections, the surfaces and strange forms of San Francisco artist Ron Nagle’s tiny ceramic sculptures are delectations for the eye. But for every attractive, shiny surface, there’s an opposite impulse to reject clashing color combinations and oddly suggestive bodily forms. (At Matthew Marks Gallery in Chelsea through Oct 24th).

Ron Nagle, Long Good Friday, ceramic, porcelain, glaze, catalyzed polyurethane, epoxy resin, 3 ¾ x 2 ½ x 3 ¾ inches, 2015.

Roy Lichtenstein at Gagosian Gallery

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The pyramids meet a great big expressionist splash of paint in a recreation of a mural by Roy Lichtenstein from 1983, which brings together references from art history and Lichtenstein’s previous work in a size XXL jumble. Originally installed for six weeks at Leo Castelli Gallery before being painted over, Gagosian Gallery is currently hosting a redo, accompanied by paintings and sculpture that flesh out Lichtenstein’s subject matter, from a Picasso head to a piece of Swiss cheese. (In Chelsea through Oct 17th).

Roy Lichtenstein, Greene Street Mural, 1983 (replica, 2015).

Barnaby Furnas Paintings at Marianne Boesky

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From 17th century Dutch paintings of the countryside to sublime Hudson River views by mid 19th century Americans, landscapes unspoiled by development have been a favorite subject in art. Barnaby Furnas’s new paintings at Chelsea’s Marianne Boesky Gallery go back further in time, imagining the drama of a planet at the moment of creation, here on ‘The First Morning.’ (Through Oct 10th).

Barnaby Furnas, The First Morning (Fire Toads), acrylic, dispersing pigment, pencil, colored pencil on prepared linen, 99 1/8 x 104 inches, 2015.

Ken Price Sculpture at Matthew Marks Gallery

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Ken Price’s blob of shiny weirdness is an enticement to venture into Matthew Marks Gallery’s back gallery. A standout in this low-key exhibition of work by gallery artists, the shimmery, seductive surface contrasts the suggestion of an unknown organic substance moldering. (In Chelsea through Oct 24th).

Ken Price, Untitled, fired and painted clay, 18 x 17 x 16, 1996-2011.

Robert Overby at Andrew Kreps Gallery

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This washed out figure is a faded but haunting recurring image in Andrew Kreps Gallery’s retrospective of work by San Francisco-based artist and graphic designer Robert Overby. Based on a 16th century Madonna by Albrecht Durer, Mary’s imposing, weirdly angled eye suggests an oddly provocative madness. (In Chelsea through Oct 31st).

Robert Overby, detail of ONE EYED-GRID, offset lithograph on paper on plywood, 18 ½ x 14 ¾ inches, 1975.

Philip Taaffe at Carolina Nitsch

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Inspired by a stone carving of the feathered dragon Quetzalcoatl, painter Philip Taaffe had the shape recreated in Spanish alabaster, which he then painted and printed. In the paper collage in the background, concentric circles give the illusion of a spiral echoing the coils of the serpent. (In Chelsea at Carolina Nitsch through Nov 7).

Philip Taaffe, Hodi Mihi, Cras Tibi (#2/8), hand carved Spanish alabaster, poppy seed oil, hand stamped and painted with oil paint, signed, numbered, dated below, 17 x 17 x 15 inches, 2015.

Sarah Sze at Tanya Bonkadar Gallery

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Sarah Sze’s installations have been characterized as organized chaos; her latest solo show aims to bring the mess and spontaneous decision-making of an artist’s studio into the gallery, yet the feeling of control is palpable. Torn paper, carefully spilled paint, and hanging sheets of plastic suggest a carefully arranged work in progress. (At Tanya Bonakdar Gallery in Chelsea through Oct 17th).

Sarah Sze, installation view at Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, Sept 2015.

Dana Schutz at Petzel Gallery

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Dana Schutz’s ‘Fight in an Elevator,’ the title piece for her show at Chelsea’s Petzel Gallery, recalls NFL player Ray Rice’s scandalous attack on his fiancée in a hotel elevator but levels the playing field as an abstracted man and woman give as good as they get in a futurist-inspired rumble. (Through October 24th).

Dana Schutz, Fight in an Elevator, oil on canvas, 96 x 90 inches, 2015.

Christian Marclay, Surround Sounds at Paula Cooper

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Christian Marclay’s 24-hour video of collaged clock-related film clips from 2010 was so engaging that his subsequent photo projects and onomatopoeia paintings have sometimes seemed bland by comparison. The standout piece in his latest solo show at Chelsea’s Paula Cooper Gallery corrects that trend, however, by animating words from cartoons in an eye-popping immersive installation that, though soundless, communicates loudly. (Through Oct 17th).

Installation view of Christian Marclay’s ‘Surround Sounds,’ at Paula Cooper Gallery, September 2015.

Doris Salcedo at the Guggenheim Museum

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Doris Salcedo’s interconnected concrete-filled wardrobes are a standout in her beautiful, somber show at the Guggenheim Museum; using personal possessions, Salcedo uses the furniture to speak to the suspended lives of political detainees and the ‘disappeared’ in her native Columbia. (Through October 12th).

Doris Salcedo, installation view of Untitled Works, 1989-2008, Sept 2015.

Michael Vasquez in ‘Portraiture Now’ at the Americas Society

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The street and gang life surrounding Miami painter Michael Vasquez as he grew up without a father have become subject matter for his large-scale, bold paintings based on friends, family and acquaintances. A standout in the Americas Society’s show of self-portraits by U.S. Latino artists, the dark background of this touching painting of a man and boy is foreboding. (Through October 17th).

Michael Vasquez, The Neighborhood Tour, acrylic and oil on canvas, 2007.

Damian Ortega in ‘Panorama’ on the High Line

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Mexican artist Damian Ortega finds a new to suspend his sculpture in space (last winter he created an explosion of tools at the Cooper Hewitt Museum) in this graffiti made of rebar, as if he’s managed to tag the sky. (On the High Line in Chelsea through March 2016).

Damian Ortega, Physical Graffiti #3, steel, 5 ft 10 ¾ inches x ¾ inches x 7 ft 9 ¼ in, 2015.

Teresita Fernandez, ‘Fata Morgana’ at Madison Square Park

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Titled after mirages that form on the horizon line, Teresita Fernandez’ ‘Fata Morgana’ in Madison Square Park playfully imagines what it would be like to inhabit the mirage. Her sprawling, 500 foot long installation of golden, mirror-polished metal covers the park’s walkways, creating both a dappled pattern on the ground and a through-the-looking-glass effect in the reflective surface overhead. (Through winter ’15-‘16).

Teresita Fernandez, Fata Morgana, Madison Square Park, through winter 2015-16.

Leonor Antunes at the New Museum

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Inspired by film and fiber art, Portuguese artist Leonor Antunes’ site-specific installation at the New Museum turns hand-made, hanging forms into an architecture perceived by the body as it moves through the installation. (At the New Museum through Sept 6th).

Installation view of Leonor Antunes at the New Museum, July 2015.

Pierre Huyghe at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

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The most understated Met Museum Roof Garden commission in recent memory, French artist Pierre Huyghe’s installation features a chunk of bedrock set on the museum’s stone tile roof within site of a tank populated with primordial-looking tadpole shrimp. In contrast to the spectacle of luxury condo growth seen just south of the park, the low-key intervention on the Met’s roof is almost disorienting. Weeds sprouting from removed floor tiles suggest a dereliction far from the norm, a crack in the Met’s perfect public face. (At the Metropolitan Museum of Art through Nov 11th).

Pierre Huyghe, Roof Garden commission at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2015.

Ryan Gander in ‘Panorama’ on the High Line

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It’s creepy, but a steady stream of visitors to the High Line can’t resist taking a sip from Ryan Gander’s fountain, designed so that a stream of water flows from the mouth of a woman rendered in marble. The sculpture is a provocative update on traditional ‘garden of love’ imagery given that the model was Gander’s wife, leaning in for a kiss. (On the High Line Park in Chelsea through March 2016).

Ryan Gander, To employ the mistress…It’s a French toff thing, marble, stainless steel, copper tubing, 1 ft 4 inches x 1 ft 4 inches x 5 ft 4inches, 2015.

Sarah Charlesworth at the New Museum

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For her last series, late Pictures Generation photographer Sarah Charlesworth used available light coming from her studio window to illuminate carefully chosen objects. Here, a glass holding a sphere has the meticulous quality of product photography, but it sells nothing, instead it turns everyday objects into something serenely magical. (At the New Museum through Sept 20th).

Sarah Charlesworth, Carnival Ball, from the ‘Available Light’ series, Fuji Crystal Archive prints with lacquered wood frames, 2012.

Amilcar de Castro in ‘Empty House/Casa Vazia’ at Luhring Augustine Gallery

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Like sketchbook pages mounted to the wall, Brazilian Neoconcretist sculptor Amilcar de Castro’s model-like Corten steel sculptures resemble drawings for future pieces as well as typography, recalling the artist’s graphic design background. (At Chelsea’s Luhring Augustine Gallery through Aug 28th).

Amilcar de Castro, Untitled, 140 sculptures of Corten steel, 9 inches – approx. size, c. 1990. (background) Paulo Monteiro, Untitled, bronze, 28 11/16 x 35 3/8 x 35 3/8 inches, bronze.

Santiago Calatrava on the Park Avenue Malls

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Seven striking new aluminum sculptures by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava are a bold contrast in color and form to the buildings lining Park Ave (even elegant Lever House in the background). They’re reminiscent of Calatrava’s evolving transportation hub downtown, designed in a similarly organic form to suggest the wings and flight of a bird. (On view on the Park Avenue Mall between 52nd and 55th Streets through early November.)

Santiago Calatrava, S4, painted plate aluminum, 2015.

Agnes Denes at Socrates Sculpture Park

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With its view of Manhattan just across the East River, Long Island City’s tranquil Socrates Sculpture Park plays perfect host to Agnes Denes’ ‘Living Pyramid.’ Created from wood and soil, flowers and grasses in the form of some of the world’s earliest monumental architecture, it’s a provocative foil to the city’s skyscrapers. (Though August 30th).

Agnes Denes, The Living Pyramid, flowers, grasses, soil, wood, paint, 30 x 30 x 30 feet, 2015.

Jacob Aue Sobol at Yossi Milo Gallery

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Gritty doesn’t begin to describe Danish artist Jacob Aue Sobol’s photographs taken along the Trans-Siberian Railway, now on view at Yossi Milo Gallery in Chelsea. This man’s face and the wall behind him are marked with use; the alarmed person in the line drawing begs the question of the man’s psychological state. (Through Aug 28th).

Jacob Aue Sobol, from the series Arrivals and Departures, Untitled #16, gelatin silver print, 24 x 20 inches, 2012.

Eric Cahan at Benrubi Gallery

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Starting with a solarized photo of water in which the dark tones have turned light, Brooklyn artist Eric Cahan scans and prints each image, attacking it with bleach and altering it in Photoshop. In a time when web users spend just seconds looking at images, Cahan’s practice questions what abstract art should offer the viewer. (At Benrubi Gallery through Aug 22nd).

Installation view of Eric Cahan, ‘Data Mining’ at Benrubi Gallery, July 2015.

Yutaka Sone in ‘Tiger Tiger’ at Salon94 Bowery

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Paintings of jungles, tropical fruit, and monkeys and sculptures of snakes and strange flora make ‘Tiger, Tiger’ at Salon94 Bowery one of the lushest shows open in New York this summer. Yutaka Sone’s folk-art inflected rattan and steel palm in the foreground sets the laid-back tone. (On the Lower East Side through August 21st).

Installation view of Tiger, Tiger at Salon94 Bowery, July 2015. (foreground: Yutaka Sone, Tropical Composition/Traveler’s Palm #1, rattan and steel, 143 x 165 x 24 inches, 2011.

Bryan Graf in ‘A Room of One’s Own’ at Yancey Richardson Gallery

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In this detail of a photogram by NJ/Maine artist Bryan Graf, the artist’s hand reaches into the frame, conjuring swirls of mesh into a dynamic design. In the accompanying Polaroid (not pictured here), we see a straight shot of the artist revealing his magic as he holds screen material in front of light sensitive paper. (At Yancey Richardson Gallery through August 21st).

(Detail of) Bryan Graf, Shot/Reverse Shot (Corner Piece #2) December 18, 2012, Polaroid and two gelatin silver prints, Polaroid: 3.5 x 4.5 inches, Gelatin silver diptych: 24 x 40 inches, unique.

Fiona Connor at Lisa Cooley Gallery

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Visit a New York City park in the summer and you’ll find clusters of kids filling water balloons at fountains identical to LA artist Fiona Connor’s handmade replica of a cast concrete water fountain. Connor’s indoor version offers more peaceful and contemplative refreshment, however, on its own in the back room of Lisa Cooley Gallery. (On the Lower East Side through August 21st).

Fiona Connor, On What Remains (fountain), concrete, EPS foam, antique brass hardware, plumbing supplies, steel, ply, paint and coatings, car battery, Jabsco pump, potable water, 36 x 24 x 36 inches, 2015.

Robin Rhode at Lehmann Maupin Gallery

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Known for photo sequences that involve individuals interacting with drawings made on the ground or wall, South Africa artist Robin Rhode branches out into post-performance installation in his latest show at Chelsea’s Lehmann Maupin Gallery. Bikes have long figured in his work as emblems of what the average kid on the street can’t afford; here, he’s used a cast chalk bike as a drawing tool to create a jittery, moving vehicle. (Through August 21st).

Robin Rhode, Chalk Bike, chalk and steel, 41 x 72.5 x 19 in, 2 windows, each 24.75 x 38.5 x 3 inches, 2015.

Patrick Van Caeckenbergh at Lehmann Maupin Gallery

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Belgian artist Patrick Van Caeckenbergh’s meticulous drawings resemble photographs but record trees embellished by his imagination into wondrous monstrosities. (At Lehmann Maupin Gallery on the Lower East Side through August 21st).

Patrick Van Caeckenbergh, Drawing of Old Trees during wintry days 2007-2014, pencil and paint on paper, 21.06 x 30.79 inches, 2007 – 2014.

Ajay Kurian in ‘A Rare Earth Magnet’ at Derek Eller Gallery

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Ajay Kurian’s torture machine for Minions slowly pokes into a plastic toy version of this cheery embodiment of evil, a thought-provoking gesture both absurd and sinister. (At Chelsea’s Derek Eller Gallery through August 21st).

Ajay Kurian, What Should We Do with Our Brains?, toy, steel, Plexiglas, linear actuator, arduino board, magic-sculpt, 14.5 x 14 x 24 inches, 2015.

The Hours of Jacques Hurault in ‘The Written Trace’ at Paul Kasmin Gallery

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It might be a stretch to consider this 16th century French illustrated manuscript as a precursor to R. Crumb’s cartoons, as a handout at Paul Kasmin Gallery suggests. Still, its meticulous detail and historical importance make it a knockout in the gallery’s summer group show celebrating the visual qualities of the written word. (In Chelsea through August 14th).

The Hours of Jacques Hurault, Grand Audienier of France, c. 1500-1510, Book of Hours, use of Rome in Latin and French, illuminated manuscript on parchment, bound in French vellum, 6 ¼ x 4 ¼ x 1 ½ inches.

Ellen Macdonald at Nicelle Beauchene Gallery

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London-based painter Ellen Macdonald snaps her audience to attention by juxtaposing abstraction and figuration in this painting of a hand and a neighboring abstract work composed of looping lines on a vivid orange background. (At Nicelle Beauchene Gallery on the Lower East Side through August 14th).

Ellen Macdonald, Untitled (U include the, wall between and you), oil on linen, 24 x 18 inches, 2015.

Brian Adam Douglas Mural at Andrew Edlin Gallery

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When this show at Andrew Edlin Gallery comes down, it’ll do so literally when the building is demolished later this year. In the meantime, the gallery invited seven artists to make environmentally-themed art directly on the walls. Here, gallery artist Brian Adam Douglas riffs on Gericault’s famous early 19th century shipwreck scene, ‘Raft of the Medusa,’ while picturing the dire effects of environmental catastrophe. (In Chelsea through Aug 15th.)

Installation view of ‘Anthems for the Mother Earth Goddess,’ at Andrew Edlin Gallery, June 2015. (Center – mural by Brian Adam Douglas).

Roni Horn in ‘Space Between’ at FLAG Art Foundation

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Ellsworth Kelly’s sleek forms – sometimes abstracted from nature – inspired FLAG Art Foundation’s summer group show and are seen in the background here. But Roni Horn’s ‘Pink Around (B),’ in the foreground is perfectly positioned to beautifully interact with nature, reflecting the sky and recording the changing light during the course of the day. (In Chelsea through August 14th).

Roni Horn, Pink Around (B), solid cast pink glass, 40 x 14 1/2 inches, 2008.

Parker Ito at Andrea Rosen Gallery

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Parker Ito’s riotous mess of an installation in Andrea Rosen Gallery’s summer group show epitomizes his collage art approach. A painting dangling from the ceiling brings together unconnected, sampled phrases like ‘I’m really creative’ and ‘One Love’ against a background of LED light strings, keeping meaning elusive on purpose. (In Chelsea through August 14th).

Parker Ito, One Love/Everyday people/tell me/jelly manhood I’m wearing those pants now/I’m pretty creative /Essay coming soon), oil on canvas, acrylic on aluminum strainers, artist frame, hanging hardware, LED lights, 122 x 96 x 2.5 inches, 2013-15

Ron Arad’s Thumbprint at Paul Kasmin Gallery

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It’s not an official exhibition, but Paul Kasmin Gallery’s 515 West 27th Street space is currently hosting a selection of artworks including designer Ron Arad’s shimmering chair-like sculpture ‘Thumbprint,’ which seems to shape-shift on the gallery floor.

Forcefield in ‘What Nerve!’ at Matthew Marks Gallery

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Art made outside of New York art scene from the 60s to the present inspired Matthew Marks Gallery’s group show this summer, an exhibition that includes work by the collective ‘Forcefield’ who are known for their unconventional costuming. Here, Lord of the Rings inspires a contemporary chain mail chic. (In Chelsea through August 14th).

Forcefield, Lord of the Rings Modulator Shroud, stainless steel ID rings, 2002-15.

Pepo Salazar in ‘Grand Illusion(s)’ at Simon Preston Gallery

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In the still of Simon Preston Gallery, Paris-based artist Pepo Salazar stretches a slim yet commandeering text reading ‘noise’ from wall to wall, forcing visitors to step gingerly through an artwork inspired by heavy metal music fonts. (On the Lower East Side through August 8th.)

Pepo Salazar, Noise, steel, 843 x 331 x 10.16 cm, 2008-2015.

Lisa Williamson in ‘No Vacancies’ at Marianne Boesky Gallery

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Oversized furniture segments, huge matchsticks, nautical implements and memorials come to mind with LA artist Lisa Williamson’s tall, elegant ‘Long Dimension (Gates),’ a standout in Marianne Boesky Gallery’s summer group show. (In Chelsea through August 7th).

Installation view of ‘No Vacancies’ at Marianne Boesky Gallery (Background: Robert Morris, Untitled, 1997. Foreground: Lisa Williamson, Long Dimension (Gates), acrylic on wood, steel base with black acid and wax finish, 2015.)

Michael Smith at GreeneNaftali

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Michael Smith opens a new chapter in the life of his hapless alter ego, Mike, with an exhibition centered around his search for the fountain of youth. A tapestry map, banners featuring Sudoku games and a water cooler are just some of the fun in Mike’s quest. (At Chelsea’s Greene Naftali Gallery through Aug 14th).

Michael Smith, installation view of ‘Excuse me!?!…I’m looking for the ‘Fountain of Youth,’ July 2015.

Tommy Mishima at Nancy Margolis Gallery

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Art history meets sneaker culture in paintings by Tommy Mishima at Nancy Margolis Gallery. (In Chelsea through August 7th).

Tommy Mishima, Sneakers 2, oil on canvas, 24 x 24 inches, 2015.

Vera Neumann at Alexander Gray Associates

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Blue, green, yellow, orange and red walls at Alexander Gray Associates are the perfect backdrop for a show of gorgeously colored paintings by late artist and housewares designer Vera Neumann, famous in the ‘60s and ‘70s for producing colorful, nature-inspired textiles, scarves, wallpapers and more. (In Chelsea through Aug 7th).

Vera Neumann, Installation view at Alexander Gray Associates, July 2015.

Marc Bijl at Marc Straus Gallery

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A stolen sign from Gagosian Gallery’s Berlin location excites speculation on how artist Marc Bijl came by it and why. Gagosian Gallery’s polished reputation is at odds with the scrappy silver-taped board on which its sign now rests, suggesting a reversal of fortunes for this abducted fragment. (At Marc Straus Gallery through July 31st).

Marc Bijl, Collateral Image, stolen Gagosian Berlin sign, found poster, tape, acrylic on board, 43 x 60 ¼ inches, 2006.

Bertozzi and Casoni at Sperone Westwater

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The wreckage of international consumer culture continues to inspire sculptures by Italian artists Bertozzi & Casoni, now on view at Sperone Westwater on the Lower East Side. Here, storks nest in stick and tin can nests atop a dismal pillar of old tires and old drums. (Through July 31st).

Bertozzi & Casoni, Composizione n. 12 (Cicogne), glazed ceramic, 137 ¾ x 63 x 60 5/8 inches, 2008.

Eirik Saether at 47 Canal

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For his first show in the US, Oslo-based artist Eirik Saether suggests strange, hybrid identities with furry cast feet and hand-stitched skirt. (At 47 Canal on the LES through July 31st.)

Eirik Saether, Staplass (Throat infection), printed silk and textile acrylic on fleece blanket; steel cast polyurethane, fur, dog collar, steel chain, polyester, printed denim, 2015.

KRIWET in ‘All Watched Over’ at James Cohan Gallery

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In colors that suggest political banners, Dusseldorf-based artist KRIWET created this bold ‘comic strip’ in 1970, using letters to create mental pictures. It is part of the group exhibition ‘All Watched Over’ at Chelsea’s James Cohan Gallery, which muses on the power of futuristic technology to improve life. (Through Aug 7th)

KRIWET, Comicstrip, 1970.

Amy Bessone & Matthias Merkel Hess at Salon94 Freemans

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Ceramic artists Amy Bessone and Matthias Merkel Hess meet in Salon94 Freemans for a two-person show juxtaposing her female torsos, shaped as empty vessels (maybe vases?), and his containers derived from everyday items like paint buckets and wastebaskets. Bessone’s containers pick up on the long association between vessels and the female body in art history, and provocatively change Hess’s work by their proximity. (On the Lower East Side through August 21st).

Installation view of Torsos and Buckets, featuring work by Amy Bessone and Matthias Merkel Hess, July 2015.

Josh Smith in ‘Marlborough Lights’ at Marlborough Gallery, LES

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Given that Marlborough Gallery’s first show in its Lower East Side space was themed on pizza, an exhibition titled ‘Marlborough Lights’ had to happen sooner or later. Here, Josh Smith’s jack o’ lantern basketball lights the way back to Sadie Laska’s magically glowing, alien-like creature and Oscar Tuazon’s blocky, street-light-like lamp. (Through Aug 1st).

Josh Smith, Illuminated Jackal Lantern Basketball, ceramic, wooden stool, light bulb, socket and wire, ceramic: 8 ½ x 8 ½ inches, 2015.

EVOL at Jonathan LeVine Gallery

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Cardboard boxes are an inspired background for Berlin-based artist EVOL’s spray paintings of elements lifted from gritty urban facades. (At Jonathan LeVine Gallery in Chelsea through July 25th).

EVOL, Berliner Luft, spray paint and mixed media on cardboard, 28 11/16 x 36 9/16 inches, 2015.

‘Old Truths and New Lies’ at Rachel Uffner Gallery

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How do you make a show that’s the ‘antithesis of a white male abstract painting show?’ With inclusiveness and anti-status quo intentions, artist and curator Mae Fatto has hung work by female (and male) artists who push the idea of what abstract art should be – from Wilder Alison’s banner-like work hanging from the rafters to Annabeth Marks’ soft-shaped intense blue canvas to Ana Cardoso’s acrylic and digital print panels stretching up the gallery walls. (At Rachel Uffner Gallery on the Lower East Side through July 31st).

Installation view of ‘Old Truths and New Lies’ at Rachel Uffner Gallery, July 2015.

Roula Partheniou in ‘Objects, Foods, Rooms’ at Tanya Bonakdar Gallery

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Toronto-based artist Roula Partheniou makes her NY debut in a group show inspired by Gertrude Stein’s text ‘Tender Buttons’ in which strange objects come together and ordinary objects are not as they seem. Here, a selection of dated items – an old board game, floppy disks and a film canister – speak to technology’s quick transformation of everyday stuff. (At Tanya Bonakdar Gallery in Chelsea through July 31st).

Roula Partheniou, Packed Boxes with Clutter, acrylic and enamel paint on wood and MDF, flocking on foam balls, 54 x 28 x 28 inches, 2015.

‘Ordering Nature’ at Marianne Boesky Gallery

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An overturned boat on an inverted ocean, a neon shape grouped with three dried tobacco leaves and nests made by pet finches are three standout works in Marianne Boesky Gallery’s summer group show ‘Ordering Nature,’ organized by Kelly Woods. Whether they’re seen as collaborations with or manipulations of nature, the show’s ephemeral artworks tread lightly on the natural world, evoking wonder. (On the Lower East Side through July 31st).

Installation view of ‘Ordering Nature’ at Marianne Boesky Gallery’s 20 Clinton Street address on the Lower East Side, July 2015.

Conor Backman at James Fuentes Gallery

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Wall mounted sculptures made of cast marble dust by Hudson, NY artist Conor Backman at James Fuentes Gallery feature faux-lichen, suggesting salvaged architectural fragments with hints of possible historical significance. (On the Lower East Side through July 24th).

Conor Backman, installation view at James Fuentes Gallery, July 2015 (foreground: Monday and Sunday, marble dust, resin, cast aquaresin, 2015).

Atsushi Kaga at Jack Hanley Gallery

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Inspired by his own experiences and memories, New York-based Japanese artist Atsushi Kaga displays over 100 paintings and sculptures in his current show at Jack Hanley Gallery featuring his alter ego, an adventuresome bunny. The creature’s cute quips are engaging, as is his friendship with the bear, though a sad sense of isolation pervades. (On the Lower East Side through July 31st.)

Atsushi Kaga, Like this?, acrylic on board, 15 x 19 cm, 2014.

Jane Corrigan, Gatherer at Feuer/Mesler

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After a stand-out show featuring paintings of sporty girls at Kerry Schuss Gallery last fall, Jane Corrigan is back on the Lower East Side with three large canvases at Feuer/Mesler. It’s hard to tell if the ragtag subject of ‘Gatherer’ is eyeballing us or her scattered carrots with a wild look; either way, the effect is disarming. (Through July 31st.)

Jane Corrigan, Gatherer, oil on canvas, 70 x 50 inches, 2015.

Li Bo in ‘Up-Youth’ at Klein Sun Gallery

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‘Up-Youth,’ a group exhibition at Chelsea’s Klein Sun Gallery presented with the Times Art Museum in Beijing, features this piece by Li Bo, whose fragmented bike on flat sections of concrete suggests a jittery ride for disappearing national symbol. (Through August 8th).

Li Bo, White in Dark Grey No. 3, mixed media, 2010-12.