Liliana Porter at Bienvenu Steinberg and J

Tiny figures perform enormous undertakings in delightfully absurd new sculpture and 2-D works by Liliana Porter at Bienvenu, Steinberg and J in Tribeca.  Miniscule men with leaf blowers raise up a storm of swirling forms while a little woman with an even smaller a basket of glitter spreads the shiny material into an expanding field of brightness.  Ruptures in scale and contrasts between the real and represented are the stock in trade of Porter’s six decades of artmaking.  Here, magical scenarios convert mundane acts by individuals into aesthetic gestures for the public. (On view through Oct 14th).

Liliana Porter, Untitled with her, gold glitter and metal figurine, dimensions variable, 2023.

David Shrigley at Doris C. Freedman Plaza

David Shrigley explores a new side of the banal with his monumental stone ‘Memorial,’ a tongue-in-cheek celebration of the short-lived usefulness of the shipping list. (Presented by the Public Art Fund at the entrance to Central Park at 60th Street and Fifth Ave, through Feb 12th).

David Shrigley, installation view of ‘Memorial’ at Doris C. Freedman Plaza, Central Park, 60th Street and 5th Ave, Nov 2016.
David Shrigley, installation view of ‘Memorial’ at Doris C. Freedman Plaza, Central Park, 60th Street and 5th Ave, Nov 2016.

Peter Shire at Derek Eller Gallery

LA sculptor Peter Shire’s ‘Scorpion’ strikes a fencing pose, but something about the red ball on top of this exaggerated tea-pot shape tones down the menace. Behind it, other sculptures reveal Shire’s involvement with the Memphis design group in the 80s and his own sense of humor in a deeply enjoyable survey of the artist’s work from the 70s to the present. (At Derek Eller Gallery on the Lower East Side through Oct 9th).

Peter Shire, Scorpion, Black, cone 06 clay and two-part polyurethane with ceramic primer, and glazed lids with metal detail, 12.75 x 31.5 x 12 inches, 1996-2013.
Peter Shire, Scorpion, Black, cone 06 clay and two-part polyurethane with ceramic primer, and glazed lids with metal detail, 12.75 x 31.5 x 12 inches, 1996-2013.

Fischli and Weiss at Houston Street with Public Art Fund

Since lifting it from the bulletin board of a Thai ceramic factory 30 years ago, Swiss artists Fischli and Weiss have reproduced this motivational list in different locations and formats over the years, most recently installing it on Houston Street in Manhattan. From the simple instruction to ‘do one thing at a time’ to the more profound challenge to ‘distinguish sense from nonsense,’ the advice encapsulates the artists’ credo to ask questions and embrace the absurd. (On Houston St at Mott Street through May 1st. For more info, see Public Art Fund or visit the artists’ retrospective at the Guggenheim.)

Fischli and Weiss, ‘How to Work Better’ installation view on Houston St at Mott St, March 2016.
Fischli and Weiss, ‘How to Work Better’ installation view on Houston St at Mott St, March 2016.

Moira Dryer at 11R




Late painter Moira Dryer’s career is in a revival as 11R gallery explores how the artist worked within the framework of minimalism to both create an emotional impact via color and convey personality via references to representation (a fingerprint, in this case). (On the Lower East Side through Feb 7th).

Moira Dryer, Untitled, casein on wood, 48 x 63 inches, 1987.