Tag: shells

Ifeyinwa Joy Chiamonwu at Jack Shainman Gallery

Young Nigerian artist Ifeyinwa Joy Chiamonwu amazes with her photo realist style and the pleasure she takes in painting elements of Igbo tradition.  In this piece titled ‘Umunne (Siblings)’ at Jack Shainman Gallery on 24th Street, Chiamonwu depicts two of her siblings in a moment of peaceful unity as they pose together with closed eyes.  A cowry shell bracelet symbolizing prosperity and snail shells signifying abundance speak to the family’s cultural wealth.  (On view in Chelsea through Feb 19th.  Masks and social distancing required.)

Ifeyinwa Joy Chiamonwu, Umunne (Siblings), charcoal, sepia, pastel and acrylic paints on canvas, 46 ½ x 46 inches, 2021.

Nicole Wermers in ‘The Return of the Real’ at Tanya Bonakdar Gallery

London-based German artist Nicole Wermers juxtaposes an ashtray with four tiers of sorted sea-shells in this provocative piece from Tanya Bonakdar Gallery’s current summer group show.  Do the shells stand in for nature, dominated by human-produced toxins?  Or should the cigarettes signal rebellious freedom that might not be at odds with a shell-strewn shoreline?  Wermers leaves it up to us to sort through our associations in a piece that’s ripe for a variety of interpretation.  (On view Tues – Fri by appointment through August 28th.  Masks and social distancing required.)

Nicole Wermers, Untitled Ashtray (shells), powder coated steel, shells, sand, 40 1/8 x 23 5/8 x 23 5/8 inches, 2018.

Paolo Ventura at Edwynn Houk Gallery

Three isolated bathers search for shells in a nature scene that melds sky and water, melancholy and peace by Paolo Ventura at Edwynn Houk Gallery. Ventura’s new hand painted, collaged photos evoke stage sets that question time and place. (On view in the 57th Street area through Nov 11th).

Paolo Ventura, La Cercatrice di Conchiglie, hand-painted photographs with collage, 30 panels, 8 x 11 1/8 inches each, 2017.

Marc Quinn at Mary Boone Gallery

British artist Marc Quinn has referred to his gargantuan bronze seashell sculptures as Venus’ pedestal (from Botticelli’s famous painting), a spiraling symbol of the world in motion, and a ‘symbol of a woman’s sex.’  Towering at over eight feet high, what they most symbolize (along with Jeff Koons’ and Paul McCarthy’s current Chelsea shows) is enormous production values. (At Mary Boone Gallery through June 29th).  

Marc Quinn, Map of the Space-Time Continuum, bronze, 2013.