Body-building and fashion magazines provide the material for Dominique Paul’s riotous collages of hybrid humans and altered insects. Using 17th and 18th century illustrations of plants and insects by artist Maria Merian as a framework, Paul mixes old and new in a bizarre but intriguing microcosm. (At Miyako Yoshinaga Gallery through May 27th).
Judith Schaechter’s relatively small stained glass work, ‘Botanical Study,’ opens a show of new work that pits the human body against fabulous depictions of nature in all its rich abundance. Here, Schaechter ignores humans entirely, zeroing in on a single drop of rich plant and insect life, amplifying the wonders of the natural world. (In Chelsea at Claire Oliver Gallery, through Oct 22nd).
Light up wall decorations, picture frames and clocks are the hosts for Chadwick Rantanen’s unusual art project, which takes the form of adaptors that allow one battery to be used in place of another. With adaptors in the form of bees sticking out the back of this clock, the device is forced to keep its kitschy face to the wall. Resistance to tackiness and artistic innovation become the subject matter. (At Essex Street through May 16th).
