Tag: petzel gallery

Derek Fordjour at Petzel Gallery

Visitors to Derek Fordjour’s impressive multimedia exhibition at Petzel Gallery can enjoy two free, live performances daily, take in vibrant new paintings and walk through a magical, life-sized diorama.  By far the most entertaining show in a particularly rich moment in the Chelsea galleries, Fordjour’s ‘Score’ sinks it in the basket while questioning what success is.  Known for images of Black athletes and performers whose excellence lands them in complicated performative roles, Fordjour includes this loaded painting titled CONfidence MAN.  One of the most attractive pieces in an enticing new body of 2D work, this colorful portrait shows a dapper man surrounded by balloons.  Despite the dazzle, he is posed in front of a skull in the window behind him suggesting that customers might do well to be wary. (Show is on view through Dec 22nd, performances through Dec 16th.

Derek Fordjour, CONfidence MAN, acrylic, charcoal, cardboard, glitter, oil pastel and foil on newspaper mounted on canvas, 85 x 65 inches, 2023.

Seth Price at Petzel Gallery

Seth Price starts many pieces in his show of new work at Petzel Gallery by working with an AI to generate an image, which he prints onto a surface and embellishes with paint, applied by brush or his own body.  He photographs what he’s created, then uses software to add virtual objects to the digital image.  Finally, he prints these later additions back onto the original painting in a back and forth digital/analogue process that foregrounds the collaboration between artist and machine.  The depth in many images is created by metallic, cylindrical shapes that disrupt easy reading of a flat, painted surface and create visual interest in this arrestingly unusual body of work. (On view in Chelsea through June 3rd).

Seth Price, Weeptober, acrylic paint, generatively produced image reverse-transferred into acrylic polymer, and UV-print on aluminum composite, 96 x 76 1/8 x 1 inches, 2022-23.

Walead Beshty at Petzel Gallery

Walead Beshty’s exhibition at Petzel Gallery opens like a revenge drama on uncooperative office equipment, with this sculpture composed of a monitor, skewered by a steel pole and spewing out its interior components. Rather than commenting on frustration or alienation with technology, however, Beshty’s piece expresses his ongoing interest in exposing behind-the-scenes aspects of conceiving of, creating and displaying art. (On view through June 17th).

Walead Beshty, Office Work (Apple iMac A1312 27” Desktop Intel Core 2 Duo), Apple iMac A1312 27” Desktop Intel Core 2 Duo and steel, 72.5 x 30.5 x 30.5 inches, 2017.

Adam McEwan at Petzel Gallery

With oppressive systems as his theme, British artist Adam McEwan presents sculptures of supercomputers that move data, a rendition of airport security trays and this walk-in sculpture of the letter ‘K.’ The letter stands in for Kafka and a character in ‘The Trial’ as well as a hieroglyph for an open hand. The most convincing way to understand the mood of the piece, however, is to climb the terrifyingly steep stairs. (At Petzel Gallery through April 30th).

Adam McEwan, Staircase, wood, steel, 18’ – 10” x 12’ – 11 5/8” x 3’ – 10 1/4,” 2016.
Adam McEwan, Staircase, wood, steel, 18’ – 10” x 12’ – 11 5/8” x 3’ – 10 1/4,” 2016.

Corinne Wasmuht at Petzel Gallery

Working from digital collages and computer sketches, Berlin-based artist Corinne Wasmuht paints scenes in public places that look as if they’re being transmitted by a spotty signal. Blurring the line between real and virtual worlds, each captures a seemingly illusory moment laid down permanently in oil on aluminum. (At Petzel Gallery in Chelsea through Dec 19th).

 Corinne Wasmuht, Pehoe P, oil on aluminum, 38.58 x 44.09 inches, 2015.