Charles Platt at Freight and Volume Gallery

Architect Charles Platt’s glass-wall contemporary designs are a world away from his collage, now on view on the Lower East Side at Freight and Volume Gallery. This pair of overalls, mounted to canvas and titled ‘The Hired Man’ literally turns the notion of work for hire inside out. (Through Feb 26th).

Charles Platt, The Hired Man, mixed media, 58 x 38 inches, 1959.
Charles Platt, The Hired Man, mixed media, 58 x 38 inches, 1959.

James Wines/SITE in ‘The Stand’ at P!

In 1977, James Wines partially buried twenty cars in a strip mall parking lot in Hamden, CT then covered them with asphalt to create an eerie auto graveyard. This maquette for that project, part of a group show at P! gallery on the Lower East Side, conveys a sense of quiet and disbelief upon discovering what looks like remains buried by ash. (Through Feb 26th).

James Wines/SITE, Ghost Parking Lot model, mixed media, 23 ½ x 33 ½ x 7 ¼ inches, 1977.
James Wines/SITE, Ghost Parking Lot model, mixed media, 23 ½ x 33 ½ x 7 ¼ inches, 1977.

Emil Lukas at Sperone Westwater Gallery

At over eight feet tall, this structure of welded aluminum tubes by Emil Lukas not only dominates Sperone Westwater’s small back gallery, it commandeers our vision. By leading our gaze toward a single point on the wall behind, it melds sculpture with the role of painting and drawing by creating one-point perspective. (On the Lower East Side through Feb 11th).

Emil Lukas, Liquid Lens, aluminum, 107 x 136 x 40 inches, 2016.
Emil Lukas, Liquid Lens, aluminum, 107 x 136 x 40 inches, 2016.

Daniel Heidkamp at Derek Eller Gallery

The huge portal dominating Daniel Heidkamp’s hotel room painting leads us into more than we might expect. From what looks to be one of the Maritime Hotel’s distinctive windows, Heidkamp shuffles the New York skyline and offers glimpses of a ballet rehearsal in a building that only exists in this painting. It feels surprisingly daring to rearrange New York’s built environment and particularly appropriate as construction booms in the city. (At Derek Eller Gallery through Feb 5th).

Daniel Heidkamp, Dreams, oil on linen, 96 x 72 inches, 2016.
Daniel Heidkamp, Dreams, oil on linen, 96 x 72 inches, 2016.

Roger White at Rachel Uffner Gallery

Roger White’s new oil paintings at Rachel Uffner Gallery approach the wondrous in the everyday – a mirror reflects light, an array of mushrooms grows from a bag – but the artist amps up the drama in this picture of fire on a river. Has there been a chemical spill? Is this a miracle? A sci-fi scene? This small, intriguingly moody canvas asks good questions. (On the Lower East Side through Feb 19th).

Roger White, Touristic Scene with Burning River, oil on canvas, 10 x 17 inches, 2017.
Roger White, Touristic Scene with Burning River, oil on canvas, 10 x 17 inches, 2017.