Leonardo Drew at Galerie Lelong

Newly represented by Galerie Lelong, Leonardo Drew’s inaugural show at the gallery arrives with a bang with an installation that resembles a hovering mass of exploded material.  Like the artist’s recently opened outdoor work at Madison Square Park, the piece offers an unexpected blast of color unfamiliar to fans of Drew’s black, white and wood-colored wall sculptures while continuing to ponder themes of destruction and regeneration.  (On view in Chelsea through August 2nd).

Leonardo Drew, Number 215, wood, paint and sand, dimensions variable, 2019.

Leonardo Drew in ‘The Onrush of Scenery’ at Sikkema Jenkins & Co.

Though it resembles an oversized segment of wall and molding, Leonardo Drew’s ‘Number 201’ is a standout in Sikkema Jenkins & Co’s current nature-focused show.  Using materials originally derived from nature and often used in building, Drew’s construction marries nature and culture in enticing forms.  (On view in Chelsea through Feb 24th).

Leonardo Drew, Number 201, wood, plaster and paint, 24.5 x 25.5 x 17.25 inches, 2017.

Leonardo Drew at Sikkema Jenkins & Co

Number 181 is a powerful presence at the entrance to abstract sculptor Leonardo Drew’s latest solo show at Chelsea gallery Sikkema Jenkins & Co. Thick clusters of driftwood project out over viewers who draw close to explore small sticks with white ends laid out in lines between rows of variously shaped pieces of wood. In this and the show’s other sculptures, Drew powerfully juxtaposes chaotic arrangements and careful order. (Through Oct 8th).

Leonardo Drew, Number 181, wood, paint, screws, nails, 111 x 220 x 39 inches, 2016.
Leonardo Drew, Number 181, wood, paint, screws, nails, 111 x 220 x 39 inches, 2016.

Leonardo Drew at Sikkema Jenkins & Co.

Leonardo Drew, Number 155, wood, 2012.
Leonardo Drew, Number 155, wood, 2012.

The new art season officially roared to life again this week with dozens of major shows opening in the last few nights.  Leonardo Drew’s installation at Chelsea’s Sikkema Jenkins & Co is one of the outstanding offerings thanks to a huge, gallery-filling installation composed of rough lengths of burnt wood as well as more tidy but no less ambitious wall relief sculptures.  (Through October 12th.)