With eyes closed to suggest inner reflection and heads elongated to convey a sense of spirituality, Jaume Plensa’s contemplative sculptural figures express peace in public places worldwide. In his latest solo show at Chelsea’s Galerie Lelong, Plensa presents heads that only partly emerge from the alabaster rock from which they are carved. Collectively titled ‘Nest,’ the new work represents Plensa’s feeling that the brain is like a nest, where dreams are born. (On view through Dec 23rd).
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.)
Sara Ludy’s artwork connects to both virtual and physical worlds manifesting as actual objects inspired by a VR dream house; here, in pieces from 2018, the artist combined glass and copper to create sculptural environments for imagined birds. Ludy’s ability to create compelling work in digital and physical media makes her an ideal artist for her gallery, Bitforms, to showcase in the inaugural Future Fair, currently operating on-line due to the pandemic. Check out her latest images, attractive abstractions which appear simultaneously organic and highly manipulated, intimate yet without reference to scale. (On view in the Future Fair through June 6th).
Once so abundant in the U.S. that their flocks sounded like thunder as they darkened the sky, passenger pigeons were hunted to extinction by the early 20th century. The final survivor, Martha, died in the Cincinnati Zoo over one hundred years ago, but inspired New York-based British realist painter Clive Smith’s painting of a commemorative plate, now on view at Marc Straus Gallery on the Lower East Side. Titled ‘Beak, Claw, Hand, Brush,’ this and other works in Smith’s series equate the labor of beak and hand, soberly suggesting that our own future may go the way of the passenger pigeon. (On view through Feb 9th).
An overturned boat on an inverted ocean, a neon shape grouped with three dried tobacco leaves and nests made by pet finches are three standout works in Marianne Boesky Gallery’s summer group show ‘Ordering Nature,’ organized by Kelly Woods. Whether they’re seen as collaborations with or manipulations of nature, the show’s ephemeral artworks tread lightly on the natural world, evoking wonder. (On the Lower East Side through July 31st).
Installation view of ‘Ordering Nature’ at Marianne Boesky Gallery’s 20 Clinton Street address on the Lower East Side, July 2015.
