Tag: michael rosenfeld

Beauford Delaney at Michael Rosenfeld Gallery

Often painted from memory and incisively capturing aspects of a sitter’s emotional life, Beauford Delaney’s portraits at Michael Rosenfeld Gallery feel strikingly immediate.  Showcasing 25 portraits and 7 abstractions from the artist’s Greenwich Village days to his decades in Paris, the exhibition’s highlights demonstrate how (as the gallery puts it in a handout), “the physical description of the sitter is secondary to their psychological essence.”  Here, in a portrait titled ‘Untitled (Young English Lieutenant),’ the tones of Delaney’s multi-colored background direct our eyes towards a vivid encounter with a young Englishman.  (On view in Chelsea through Nov 13th.  Masks and proof of vaccination are required.)

Beauford Delaney, Untitled (Young English Lieutenant), oil on canvas, 36 x 30 inches, 1943.

Yayoi Kusama in ‘Alternative Worlds’ at Michael Rosenfeld Gallery

Mirrors, lights and long lines of visitors usually accompany Yayoi Kusama’s Chelsea exhibitions; Michael Rosenfeld Gallery’s selection of the artist’s smaller scale 2-D and 3-D work from the 50s and 80s is a quieter affair but a gem for Kusama fans.  Here, two box-shaped sculptures feature the artist’s signature nets, polka dots and phallic forms, bringing together pattern and texture in abundance.  Despite this work’s title, ‘Ruins (Haikyo),’ clustered protrusions resembling eggs in a nest appear to embody life and movement.  (On view through July 30th.  Masks and social distancing required.)

Yayoi Kusama, Ruins (Haikyo), mixed media box assemblage with sewn and painted fabric, faux fur and paint, 11 ¾ x 11 ¾ x 4 inches, 1984.

Charles White at Michael Rosenfeld Gallery

Titled ‘Juba’ after a West African dance tradition, Charles White’s portrait of this contemplative woman is dynamic though she’s still.  Michael Rosenfeld Gallery’s exhibition of work by White and contemporaries from his wide circle of influence and friendship showcases large-scale drawings like this one from the 60s and 70s, illustrating White’s masterful ability to confer serene wisdom on his characters.  (On view through Nov 10th).

Charles White, Juba #2, Wolff crayon and oil wash on illustration board, 26 ¼ x 36 inches, 1965.

Barbara Chase-Rimboud at Michael Rosenfeld Gallery

Inspired to reconsider Malcolm X’s ideology while participating in an Algerian arts festival in 1969, Barbara Chase-Rimboud began a series of bronze sculptures, titled after the activist, fourteen of which are now on view at Michael Rosenfeld Gallery. Created with a knotted silk base and bronze forms made by casting worked sheets of wax, the mix of materials signals strength and finery. (On view in Chelsea through Oct 28th).

Barbara Chase-Rimboud, Malcolm X #5, polished bronze and silk with steel support, 75 ¾ x 23 ½ x 23 ½ inches, 2003. Private Collection, Pound Ridge, NY.

Claire Zeisler in ‘The Time is Now’ at Michael Rosenfeld Gallery

Known for creating fiber art without a loom, late artist Claire Zeisler sometimes evoked the natural world in works that seemed to pour and pool like water. Here, a vivid red piece evokes fire, lava, blood and more, eliciting strong and even conflicting responses. (At Michael Rosenfeld Gallery in Chelsea through August 4th).

Claire Zeisler, Untitled, colored fiber construction, 36 ½ x 43 x 42 inches, c. 1969.